Senator Invoice Hagerty (R-TN) has been within the headlines as of late as the GENIUS Act (S. 1582), a invoice for which he was the first sponsor, moves closer to passing in the U.S. Senate.
The GENIUS Act is a invoice that, if enacted into regulation, would create a federal regulatory framework for stablecoins in order that the expertise could be extra extensively adopted. (Whereas some Bitcoin fanatics might not like this, they need to nonetheless take note of the language within the invoice, as it could have an impact on U.S. citizens’ ability to use Bitcoin wallets privately.)
Nonetheless, stablecoins aren’t the one factor on Senator Hagerty’s thoughts.
He’s additionally interested by find out how to greatest produce and harness vitality in Tennessee to make use of it for Bitcoin mining and AI compute.
He shared his imaginative and prescient on this matter with me in an interview I performed with him at Bitcoin 2025:
Tennessee As A Hub For Bitcoin Mining and AI Compute
“We’ve got a chance earlier than us to be within the very lead,” Senator Hagerty informed Bitcoin Journal in regard to constructing nuclear services that can be utilized to supply vitality for Bitcoin mining and AI processing.
“The most important utility on this planet is the Tennessee Valley Authority — definitely the biggest one in America — and I feel we’ve acquired a singular alternative right here to maneuver ahead and turn out to be the vitality hub of America,” he added.
“[We should] see an increasing number of not solely mining operations, but when you consider what Elon Musk is doing in Memphis with xAI, the info facilities, the alternatives with synthetic intelligence — there are various, many issues which can be going to occur in Tennessee.”
The Senator added that he believes the state also can strike partnerships with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Vanderbilt College, the College of Tennessee and Tennessee Tech as it really works to turn out to be a extra pleasant vacation spot for Bitcoin miners and information facilities.
“We’ve acquired nice alternatives [from] Memphis all the best way throughout the state,” stated Senator Hagerty.
Hagerty’s Name For Bipartisanship
Whether or not it’s working towards stablecoin laws or crafting regulation that may allow industries like Bitcoin mining and information facilities to thrive in america, Senator Hagerty believes these efforts ought to be inherently bipartisan.
“[These are] bipartisan — or nonpartisan problem[s] — frankly,” stated the Senator.
“Should you care in regards to the competitiveness of America — if you wish to see innovation occur on our shores slightly than being pushed abroad — then you definately’re going to assist what we’re making an attempt to do by way of placing a regulatory framework in place that may ship certainty, that may create an ecosystem right here in America that may permit these corporations to thrive,” he added.
“It’s not simply the stablecoin laws I’m placing ahead or what might occur with Bitcoin or different applied sciences like that. It’s the general blockchain expertise that’s going to assist advance America past the twenty first century. We have to keep within the lead. We are able to keep within the lead.”
