Mike Braun has signed House Bill 1042, allowing Indiana’s public retirement and savings plans to include bitcoin and other cryptocurrency investments through self-directed brokerage accounts.
The law requires public retirement boards and deferred compensation committees to offer at least one cryptocurrency investment option by July 1, 2027, giving state employees the ability to allocate a portion of their retirement savings to digital assets.
Participants will be able to invest in Bitcoin, other crypto assets, or crypto-linked exchange-traded funds alongside traditional holdings such as stocks, bonds and ETFs, subject to allocation limits and oversight set by plan administrators.
Retirement boards will retain authority over fee structures, allocation caps and valuation methods to ensure account balances reflect prevailing market prices.
The legislation defines cryptocurrency as a virtual currency not issued by a central authority that uses encryption to regulate issuance and verify transfers, providing formal clarity for public investment programs.
Indiana joins other states exploring crypto exposure in public funds, including New Hampshire, which authorised up to 5% of certain public funds for large-cap digital assets, and proposals in South Dakota and Rhode Island aimed at expanding bitcoin-related policies.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $68,110.23.