Senator Invoice Hagerty (R-TN) has been within the headlines as of late because the GENIUS Act (S. 1582), a invoice for which he was the first sponsor, strikes nearer to passing within the U.S. Senate.
The GENIUS Act is a invoice that, if enacted into legislation, would create a federal regulatory framework for stablecoins in order that the expertise will be extra extensively adopted. (Whereas some Bitcoin lovers could not like this, they need to nonetheless take note of the language within the invoice, because it might have an effect on U.S. residents’ skill to make use of Bitcoin wallets privately.)
Nonetheless, stablecoins aren’t the one factor on Senator Hagerty’s thoughts.
He’s additionally fascinated with how one can 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 have now a chance earlier than us to be within the very lead,” Senator Hagerty instructed Bitcoin Journal in regard to constructing nuclear amenities that can be utilized to supply vitality for Bitcoin mining and AI processing.
“The biggest utility on this planet is the Tennessee Valley Authority — definitely the biggest one in America — and I believe we’ve obtained a novel alternative right here to maneuver ahead and grow to be the vitality hub of America,” he added.
“[We should] see increasingly 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 a lot of, many issues which might be going to occur in Tennessee.”
The Senator added that he believes the state may also strike partnerships with Oak Ridge Nationwide Laboratory, Vanderbilt College, the College of Tennessee and Tennessee Tech as it really works to grow to be a extra pleasant vacation spot for Bitcoin miners and knowledge facilities.
“We’ve obtained 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 knowledge facilities to thrive in the US, Senator Hagerty believes these efforts ought to be inherently bipartisan.
“[These are] bipartisan — or nonpartisan concern[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 somewhat than being pushed abroad — you then’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 could 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 will keep within the lead.”
