Michigan Introduces Bill to Allow State Employees to Be Paid in Bitcoin
Michigan State Rep. Matt Maddock has introduced legislation that would allow classified state civil service employees to receive their wages in Bitcoin or other qualifying digital assets, marking what supporters describe as a first-of-its-kind effort to integrate Bitcoin into state payroll systems.
Pro-bitcoin legislation coming out of Michigan
The bill was developed in partnership with the Michigan Bitcoin Trade Council, a statewide advocacy organization focused on Bitcoin education and policy.
If enacted, Michigan would become one of the first states to formally authorize bitcoin as a wage payment option for government employees.
While several private-sector employers across the U.S. have experimented with paying workers in digital assets, state-level payroll integration remains rare.
The wage proposal is part of a broader package of pro-Bitcoin legislation advancing in Lansing. Companion measures include HB 4511, which would establish a digital asset bill of rights prohibiting state and local governments from banning Bitcoin ownership or use; HB 4510, creating a framework for potential pension fund investment in large-cap digital assets; and HB 4512 and HB 4513, which seek to incentivize Bitcoin mining operations powered by abandoned oil and natural gas wells.
The wage bill requires the state to honor an employee’s chosen payment method and sets parameters for digital asset offerings but does not detail the operational mechanics of conversion, custody or volatility management.
Those implementation questions would likely fall to the Department of Treasury and other administrative agencies if the measure becomes law.
Maddock said he is working to secure bipartisan co-sponsors ahead of the bill’s formal numbering and committee referral.
Last week, Missouri House Bill 2080, introduced by Representative Ben Keathley, was referred to the House Commerce Committee, proposing the creation of a state-managed Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Fund that would allow the treasurer to acquire, custody, and hold bitcoin in cold storage for at least five years under defined statutory guidelines.
In May 2025, New Hampshire empowered the state treasurer to allocate up to 10% of state funds into digital assets or precious metals with a market capitalization exceeding $500 billion.
Since then, other states — including Arizona and Texas — have followed suit, advancing or establishing comparable bitcoin reserve frameworks.
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