Missouri (MO): Bitcoin and virtual-currency law
Document text
Research, not advice. Part of the Bitcoin research archive (October 2026). Claims labelled unverified, contested or fringe are reported, not endorsed; statuses of bills and rules are as of the date checked. Government, court and patent records are public domain; the research notes are CC BY 4.0.
Missouri (MO): Bitcoin and virtual-currency law
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | US state: Missouri |
| Date checked | 2026-10-09 |
| Main regulators | Division of Finance (money transmitters); Attorney General (consumer protection under the Merchandising Practices Act) |
| Money-transmitter law | Money Transmission Modernization Act of 2024, RSMo §§ 361.900 to 361.1035, effective 2024-08-28 (CSBS: Full MTMA, Virtual Currency Title: No; CSBS) |
| Virtual currency covered? | Kiosks: yes, by statute. Kiosk operators "shall be deemed to be engaged in money transmission and require licensure" (RSMo § 361.1100.18). Non-kiosk virtual-currency business: not determined (gap). |
| UMSA? / URVCBA? | No / No |
| Crypto ATM / kiosk law | Yes. The "Virtual Currency Kiosk Consumer Protection Act", RSMo § 361.1100, enacted in SS SCS HB 754 (2025), approved 2025-07-10, effective 2025-08-28: licensing, disclosures, receipts, blockchain analytics and live support. No statutory daily limit or fee cap (AARP lists receipts, live support and licensing only). |
| Tax | HB 594 (2025), approved 2025-07-10: from tax year 2025, individuals subtract 100% of federal capital gains from Missouri income, so bitcoin gains are not taxed by Missouri for individuals. |
Summary
Missouri combines bitcoin-friendly tax policy with heavy kiosk enforcement:
- 2025 tax law: HB 594 removed state income tax on individuals' capital gains, including gains on bitcoin, from 2025.
- 2025 kiosk act: HB 754 created the Virtual Currency Kiosk Consumer Protection Act. It requires kiosk operators to be licensed money transmitters. CoinFlip says it "championed" the act. The same bill rewrote RSMo § 408.010 as the "Constitutional Money Act", under which "electronic specie currency" (gold- and silver-backed electronic money) is legal tender for public debts.
- 2026 enforcement: AG Catherine Hanaway sued CoinFlip on 2026-05-20 under the Merchandising Practices Act, after opening a statewide kiosk investigation in December 2025.
- 2026 bills that died:
- a Cryptocurrency Strategic Reserve Fund (HB 2080), which was reported "Do Pass" by a House committee;
- an AG civil-action bill against kiosk operators (HB 3043);
- kiosk-act amendments (SB 1510);
- a digital-assets bill (SB 1177).
1. Money-transmitter licensing and virtual currency
- RSMo §§ 361.900–361.1035 (MTMA of 2024).
- HB 754 (2025) adds RSMo § 361.1100 (truly agreed text, SS SCS HB 754, saved):
- "18. (1) Any virtual currency kiosk operator who owns, operates, solicits, markets, advertises, or facilitates virtual currency kiosks in this state shall be deemed to be engaged in money transmission and require licensure pursuant to sections 361.900 to 361.1035."
- "(2) All unlicensed virtual currency kiosk operators shall apply for a money transmitter license within sixty days after this section goes into effect."
- Whether the Division of Finance licenses non-kiosk virtual-currency exchangers is unverified.
2. Virtual-currency-specific statutes and guidance
| Law | What it does | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SS SCS HB 754 (2025), § 361.1100, Virtual Currency Kiosk Consumer Protection Act | Kiosk licensing, disclosures ("Virtual currency is not legal tender ..."), receipts, blockchain analytics and more | Approved 2025-07-10; effective 2025-08-28 | House bill page; text saved |
| HB 754 (2025), § 408.010, "Constitutional Money Act" | "Electronic specie currency shall be accepted as legal tender ... for payment of all public debts". Specie and electronic specie "may be accepted" for private debts at the receiver's discretion. Nobody is required to use specie. Employers may pay wages in specie on request. | Same act | text saved |
| SS#2 HCS HBs 594 & 508 (2025), RSMo § 143.121 | Subtraction of "one hundred percent of all income reported as a capital gain for federal income tax purposes by an individual", for tax years beginning on or after 2025-01-01 | Approved 2025-07-10; effective 2025-08-28 | House bill page; text saved |
3. Crypto ATM / kiosk law
RSMo § 361.1100 (HB 754, 2025), effective 2025-08-28:
- Licensing: operators are deemed money transmitters and must be licensed. Unlicensed operators had 60 days to apply.
- Disclosures: material risks, including that virtual currency "is not legal tender, is not backed by the government, and accounts and value balances are not subject to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or Securities Investor Protection Corporation protections".
- Other duties: receipts, blockchain analytics, and division access to records.
- Not included: AARP's tracker lists Missouri with receipts, live customer support and licensing, but no daily limit or refund provision (AARP data). The AG's suit complains of "convoluted and excessive fees", which suggests no statutory fee cap. (We did not read the full section for every element.)
- CoinFlip on the law: "Missouri's 2025 cryptocurrency kiosk consumer protection legislation exists because CoinFlip demanded it" (KCTV5).
4. Tax treatment
- No Missouri income tax on individuals' capital gains from tax year 2025 (HB 594, § 143.121(14)(a)). This covers bitcoin sales by individuals.
- Bitcoin received as ordinary income, for example mining or wages, is still taxable (our reading).
- Cryptonews (via Yahoo) reported that "Missouri, in August, eliminated state income tax on capital gains" (Yahoo). This is consistent with the HB 594 effective date of 2025-08-28.
- Section (14)(b) of the same subdivision covers other taxpayers once the top rate falls to 4.5% or below; the text was not fully reviewed.
5. Notable enforcement
| Date | Action | Source |
|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | AG Hanaway launched a statewide investigation into kiosk companies over "deceptive fee structures and use by bad actors" | AG release (not saved) |
| 2026-05-20 | AG sued GPD Holdings LLC ("CoinFlip") under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. CoinFlip runs more than 140 Missouri kiosks. The AG seeks an injunction against operating in Missouri, civil penalties of $1,000 per violation (up to $1,826,000) and restitution. The Highway Patrol's analysis centre and the St. Louis Fusion Center report 350 crypto cases involving ATMs over two years. | AG release (saved) |
| — | CoinFlip called the suit "meritless", a "misguided attack on the company that championed the law", and said it would "fight this lawsuit aggressively" | Cointelegraph; KCTV5 |
6. Bills, 103rd General Assembly (2025–2026)
Statuses come from house.mo.gov bill pages, checked 2026-10-09. The 2026 session ended 2026-05-15.
| Bill | Subject | Status |
|---|---|---|
| HB 754 (2025) | Financial organizations, including the kiosk act and the Constitutional Money Act | Approved 2025-07-10 |
| HB 594 (2025) | Taxation, including the capital-gains subtraction | Approved 2025-07-10 |
| HB 2080 (2026), Rep. Keathley | "Cryptocurrency Strategic Reserve Fund": the Treasurer may receive, invest and hold digital assets | HCS reported Do Pass 2026-03-12; died |
| HB 3043 (2026), Rep. Hausman | Let the AG bring civil actions against kiosk operators | Referred 2026-05-15; died |
| SB 1510 (2026) | Modify the kiosk act | Referred to Insurance and Banking; died (per tracker) |
| SB 1177 (2026) | Digital assets | Referred to Insurance and Banking; died (per tracker) |
Pending: none. The 2027 session begins in January 2027.
7. Contested and fringe claims
- "Constitutional Money Act" and "electronic specie currency." Sound-money advocates hail Missouri for recognizing gold- and silver-backed electronic money as legal tender for public debts. Critics question whether a state can do this, given the federal monetary power, and say it is impractical. This is a contested constitutional and policy question. It does not cover bitcoin.
- Industry-written law? CoinFlip says it "drove" the 2025 kiosk act. The AG now sues CoinFlip anyway. Consumer advocates elsewhere argue that industry-backed kiosk laws are weak because they lack limits and refunds; CoinFlip argues its model sets proper standards. Both views are reported; neither is verified.
Saved sources (sources/states/mo/)
See sources/states/mo/INDEX.md.
Gaps
- The full text of § 361.1100's operating requirements.
- Division of Finance guidance on non-kiosk crypto.
- Senate bill statuses checked directly on senate.mo.gov.
- The outcome of the AG's investigation into other operators.