RegulationTrump
|4 min ReadStates Join the Race to Shape America’s Crypto Future
Maya Chen
Senior Analyst
Published
Jan 16, 2026
Crypto law in the United States is finally moving. Fast.
President Trump signed the GENIUS Act, setting a national standard for stablecoins. The House pushed forward the CLARITY Act with rare bipartisan muscle. Together they mark a historic shift — Washington is laying down real rules for digital assets.
But the action isn’t just in D.C.
Across the map, 27 states and the capital passed 57 crypto-related bills in 2024. Everyone wants a stake in how this new digital economy will run. Federal law may define the big picture, but the states are where innovation hits the ground.
Wyoming leads with the DUNA
Wyoming has become the model for what state innovation can look like.
Its Decentralized Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Act — the DUNA — gives decentralized autonomous organizations, or DAOs, legal status without killing their core feature: decentralization.
A DAO is like a company without a boss. Code replaces corporate hierarchies. Without legal recognition, though, DAOs faced massive risks. Courts even said members could be personally liable for other members’ actions. Wyoming’s DUNA fixed that. It lets DAOs pay taxes, sign contracts, and show up in court while keeping their decentralized structure intact.
Last month, Uniswap DAO voted overwhelmingly — over 52 million votes for, none against — to adopt a Wyoming DUNA as its legal wrapper. That decision puts DAOs on the same legal footing as LLCs and opens a path for other projects to follow.
If more states copy Wyoming’s model, the U.S. could lock in its position as the global home for decentralized innovation.
Getting token rules right
Tokens aren’t all speculative coins. Many are tools.
They can represent loyalty points, in-game items, music rights, or proof of identity. Mislabeling them as “financial assets” can crush small businesses with red tape.
Take Blackbird, a restaurant app that uses its token, FLY, for customer rewards. It’s no different from earning a free drink punch card. Classifying that as a financial instrument makes no sense. It turns a coffee shop into a financial service provider overnight.
Illinois got it right with its Digital Assets and Consumer Protection Act (DACPA). Signed in August 2025, it carves out clear exemptions for non-financial tokens like arcade tokens and NFTs. It’s a clean blueprint for how other states can regulate without strangling creativity.
Building smarter policy through task forces
Good regulation starts with good information.
California showed the way back in 2018 with its Blockchain Working Group, a 20-member task force that mixed government officials, technologists, and lawyers. Two years later, it delivered a full report with policy proposals and legal updates.
Task forces like this let states test, learn, and align their policies with national standards. They stop chaos before it starts — and keep small innovators from getting buried under conflicting state rules.
Pilots and stablecoins: the next frontier
When states experiment, they find real utility.
California used blockchain to digitize DMV car titles, cutting down fraud. Utah piloted blockchain-based credentials for public programs. Other states are exploring blockchain voting, transparent budget tracking, and verifiable health records.
Stablecoins are next.
They’re programmable dollars that can move instantly and cheaply. The new GENIUS Act gives states a green light to build their own issuance regimes under federal standards. States like California already have laws on the books, and Wyoming went further — launching its own Frontier Stable Token.
The message is clear: the future of payments is digital, and states can help shape it.
The new race for relevance
Federal rules will handle the heavy lifting, but states aren’t done.
By adopting the DUNA, fixing token classifications, forming task forces, testing blockchain pilots, and aligning with stablecoin frameworks, states can do more than just regulate — they can lead.
This is America’s second crypto boom. Not one of speculation, but of structure.
And the states that move first will own the future of the internet economy.
Disclaimer: This document is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed in this document are not, and should not be taken as, investment advice or recommendations. Recipients should do their own due diligence, taking into account their specific financial circumstances, investment objectives and risk tolerance, which are not considered here, before investing. This document is not an offer, or the solicitation of an offer, to buy or sell any of the assets mentioned.