Annapolis, MD, May 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed two pieces of digital asset legislation into law this week, establishing the state’s Digital Asset and Blockchain Technology Task Force and directing a state agency study of blockchain-based real property records.
The bills are the product of a coalition led by the Maryland Blockchain Association in partnership with the Maryland Tech Council and the Blockchain Legal Institute.
HB 470, sponsored by Senator Ron Watson & Del. Adrian Boafo, D-Prince George’s, creates a public-private task force charged with studying blockchain and cryptocurrency use cases, assessing risks and benefits, and evaluating regulatory frameworks in peer states. The task force must report findings and recommendations to the governor and the General Assembly by October 2027.
SB 168, sponsored by Sen. Ron Watson, D-Prince George’s, directs the State Department of Assessments and Taxation to evaluate the use of blockchain technology for recording and verifying real property titles and leases, and to assess its application in courts and law enforcement matters involving unauthorized occupants. The department must report findings by the end of this year. The Senate passed the bill unanimously; the House passed it 119-14.
“Maryland’s two new digital asset laws give the state real tools to lead responsibly,” said Matthew Rogers, co-founder of the Maryland Blockchain Association and CTO of the Blockchain Legal Institute. “Marylanders now have clearer rules, and the state has the infrastructure to keep that clarity current as the technology evolves.
”The association credited Boafo, Watson and Sen. Chris West, R-Baltimore County, for bipartisan leadership on the legislation.
With the laws set to take effect this summer, the association will host the Maryland BlockchAIn Bootcamp and Workforce Expo July 13-17 at Capitol Technology University in Laurel, where consumers, students, employers and state officials will receive technical briefings on the new statutes and explore workforce pipelines into digital asset and artificial intelligence careers.
About the Maryland Blockchain Association
The Maryland Blockchain Association (MDBA) is a statewide nonprofit trade association advancing blockchain innovation in Maryland through advocacy, education and community building. Learn more at marylandblockchainassociation.org.
Register to attend the BlockChAIn Bootcamp by visiting: https://marylandblockchainassociation.org/summer-conference/
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