Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office is now accepting cryptocurrency for all types of transactions.
In a recent announcement, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced that his office will now accept cryptocurrency for all types of transactions, in addition to credit cards and checks.
Ohioans pay business filings and other fees to the office, including getting a trademark or applying to get a minister’s license.
“Ohians expect government services to keep pace with the technology they use every day,” LaRose said in a press release.
“Whether you’re starting a business, filing with our office, or paying a financial obligation, we should make the process as convenient, secure, and efficient as possible. This payment modernization project gives our customers more choices and makes it easier to do business with the State of Ohio,” the press release continued.
LaRose’s office is currently the only state office accepting cryptocurrency. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources might start accepting it at some point in the future.
Ohio State Treasurer Robert Sprague worked with LaRose’s office to implement the change. In a recent interview, he supported the move to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment.
“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 in a recent statement.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has expressed his support for cryptocurrency and the use 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 in a speech at the Bitcoin Policy Institute in 2025.
Some other Republicans have expressed hesitation over the digital currency, even though many Republican leaders in Ohio are interested in the possibility of using cryptocurrency in the future. House Speaker Matt Huffman voiced his reservations.
“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 said in 2025.
During his time in office, LaRose has been focused on “embracing new technology and making state government more efficient and accessible.”
“Ohio has a history of embracing innovation, and state government shouldn’t be afraid to lead,” said Secretary LaRose in the press release. “We worked through the right legal and regulatory process to make cryptocurrency payments possible, and now that option is available as part of a modern payment system built around convenience and choice. This is what efficient, customer-focused government should look like.”
