New York
BitLicense (New York)
The world's first crypto exchange licence, issued by the New York Department of Financial Services from 2015, establishing requirements for virtual currency businesses operating in New York and influencing exchange licensing globally.
BitLicense: New York's Crypto Regulation That Changed an Industry
Introduced in 2015 by the NYDFS, the BitLicense became the most debated state-level crypto regulation in US history — driving companies out of New York while shaping regulatory frameworks globally.
State-Level Crypto Laws: Wyoming Leads, New York Restricts, and the Rest Follow
In the absence of federal legislation, US states created a patchwork of crypto regulation — from Wyoming's permissive blockchain laws to New York's restrictive BitLicense, with 48 variations in between.