COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohioans can now use cryptocurrency to pay business filings and fees.
Sec. of State Frank LaRose's office is accepting credit cards, checks and cryptocurrency for all types of transactions, like filing for a new business, getting a trademark or applying to get a minister's license.
“Ohioans expect government services to keep pace with the technology they use every day,” LaRose said.
LaRose has led the charge in trying to make crypto more mainstream.
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"Ohioans have accepted this as a real form of currency, a form of exchange that they want to use," LaRose said during a 2025 press conference.
These online “coins” are stored in a digital database known as a blockchain, and like stocks, they can be traded and sold. One Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, fluctuates and is worth about $80,000 as of Friday. One year ago, it was about $120,000.
"You never really know with the volatility of what those prices are," Michael McGovern, president of progressive organization Innovation Ohio, said. "I think that's just really risky for something that needs to be stable."
Because crypto spikes and falls rapidly, McGovern warned that payments could be hard to calculate, adding that this isn’t safe for the state’s finances. The secretary countered, saying once submitted, crypto is immediately transferred into U.S. dollars.
But McGovern added there is more important policy to tackle.
"Really misplaced priorities of Frank LaRose and other leaders in our state," he said. "Gas is almost $5 a gallon. Healthcare premiums are spiking. Electric rates are through the roof, but hey, you can pay for your fishing license with Bitcoin."
LaRose's office is the only one actively accepting crypto, but it's possible the Ohio Department of Natural Resources may soon.
In a previous interview with Treasurer Robert Sprague, who has worked with LaRose to implement this, we asked whether this was really what the state should be focused on.
"It's really important because if we do dip into a recession, we want to be one of the states that is the most advanced," Sprague said.
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Two high-profile politicians are outspoken supporters.
Both Republican candidate for governor Vivek Ramaswamy and President Donald Trump are invested in cryptocurrency and pushing for greater usage of digital assets.
"Bitcoin and what it represents, more than as a financial asset, also helps fill that void, fill that hunger for a symbol, a reminder of what American greatness was all about," Ramaswamy said while speaking at the Bitcoin Policy Institute in 2025.
As of 2025, LaRose had about $10,000 worth of Bitcoin, he said.
Eventually, many of the Republican leaders want Ohioans to be able to make all payments, including taxes, in crypto. House Speaker Matt Huffman, though, may be an obstacle.
"I think these kinds of risky things, we need to have a long, hard look at... I'm still scratching my head over cryptocurrency," Huffman (R-Lima) said in 2025.
Follow Statehouse and Columbus bureau reporter Morgan Trau on X, Instagram and Facebook. Email her at Morgan.Trau@wews.com.
