Texas has made history as the first U.S. state to purchase Bitcoin for its treasury. On November 20, the state acquired $10 million worth of Bitcoin, launching its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Texas Treasury’s Strategic Bitcoin Move
The buy occurred via BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, at an average price of $87,000 per BTC. In a recent X post, the acquisition was confirmed by Lee Bratcher, the President of Texas Blockchain Council which stated that it was due to diligent monitoring of market prospects by the team at Texas Treasury.
Comptroller Kelly Hancock and the investments team have been instrumental in making this decision. According to Bratcher, they closely followed Bitcoin’s market movements before taking the step to invest.
While Texas plans to self-custody its BTC in the future, it opted for the ETF for now. The ETF provides a compliant and accessible entry point as the state works on its custody framework.
This purchase comes on the heels of Texas’ legislative recognition of Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset. The action will make Texas a leader among states in digital asset adoption and set precedent for how governments can engage with cryptocurrencies.
Texas is the latest example of government focus on digital assets. Now, the state is setting an example by adopting BTC into its financial strategy.
If the trend of cryptocurrency momentum continues, Texas’ move may motivate other states to do likewise. This change of approach might affect the way in which public institutions handle and invest digital currencies in future.