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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Republicans have recently ramped up a push to make cryptocurrency more mainstream, coinciding with specific GOP leaders’ wishes.
Mining for new topics to make policy on, many Ohio politicians think they struck gold.
“We chose to lead instead of follow,” Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague said in an interview with me.
Numerous bills have been introduced to make crypto more accessible, with lawmakers eventually wanting Ohioans to be able to pay their taxes with it.
These online “coins” are stored in a digital database known as a blockchain. Like stocks, they can be traded and sold. One Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, fluctuates and is worth about $108,000 as of Thursday.
Senate Bill 57 would create a Bitcoin reserve fund, allowing Ohioans to pay taxes and fees in Bitcoin. It would also allow residents to donate Bitcoin to the fund. House Bill 116 would ensure that crypto owners can use their digital assets to pay for goods and services, as well as protect the currency from certain taxes. House Bill 18 would allow the treasurer to invest in “high-value digital assets” in the general or reserve fund. House Bill 426 puts regulations in place for “abandoned” currency.
Although digital currency bills were introduced in the last general assembly, the two main pieces of legislation were introduced in late 2024.
Sprague has been a leading voice in the crypto push. Just recently, the treasurer allowed state agencies to soon start collecting payments in digital coins.
“The world is moving rapidly toward digital payments, and we don’t want the state of Ohio to be left behind,” Sprague said.
RELATED: You may soon be able to pay fees, taxes in Ohio with cryptocurrency like Bitcoin
It’s actually a topic that is bringing the top House Republican and Democratic leaders together.
“I think these kinds of risky things, we need to have a long, hard look at… I’m still scratching my head over cryptocurrency,” Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said.
Both Huffman and Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) raised red flags. Crypto spikes and falls rapidly, and bitcoin payments can be hard to calculate.
“We have to be very careful with the crypto industry,” Isaacsohn said. “We’ve seen a lot of abuse; Because of a lack of oversight, we’ve seen a lot of people losing their livelihoods.”
In 2024, the FBI reported $9.3 billion in losses due to cryptocurrency cybercrime.
When I asked the treasurer about possible fraud, Sprague said that the state system would immediately change the currency format once submitted. This is a thorough plan that has taken months to evaluate, he said.
But at one point, the process wasn’t as transparent.
In 2018, News 5 spoke with a Cleveland car salesman named Bernie Moreno — now Ohio’s U.S. senator — who advocated back then for the state to move on this emerging tech.
“By adopting a technology first, and being a leader, you really get an advantage in technology,” Moreno said.
At the time, Moreno became the first person, not only in Ohio, but in the U.S., to pay his taxes with crypto when the state became the first in the country to accept digital currency as payment.
In News 5’s video of Moreno submitting his payment, then-Treasurer Josh Mandel stood beside him.
Mandel decided in 2018 that Ohioans could pay their taxes in crypto. Within a year, the program was suspended because Attorney General Dave Yost issued an opinion that Mandel didn’t follow correct protocol in setting up the system.
For the years following, policy remained stagnant, and crypto was mainly ignored by the legislative leaders.
“I don’t know that it is a good idea,” Huffman said. “[A crypto bill] is not a priority.”
Both the House leaders continue to say there is more important policy to tackle — property taxes, education and the cost of living.
“Is cryptocurrency really what the lawmakers and what your office should be focusing on? Who is asking for this?” I asked Sprague.
“Actually, I think 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,” the treasurer responded.
Businesses have been expressing more interest in crypto, he said, so Ohio accepting the coins could help boost the economy.
Timing
The Trump administration continues to push cryptocurrency, as the president’s own coin and his family’s companies have earned $1 billion from the digital asset.
But another high-profile politician is outspoken in his support.
“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,” Vivek Ramaswamy said while speaking at the Bitcoin Policy Institute in March.
Ramaswamy, the GOP-endorsed candidate in the 2026 governor’s race, had long been an advocate for digital currency.
“How much of a better shot do you think that this gives you in becoming Vivek Ramaswamy as lieutenant governor by following his crypto idea plans?” I asked Sprague.
“I don’t know about that,” he responded. “But I can say this: I think Vivek is a bold innovator, and he’s looking at the future of the state.”
Strategists believe Sprague is on the shortlist for Ramaswamy’s second in command.
Outside of his official role in government, the treasurer is running for secretary of state. He just announced that he would be the first candidate for a statewide seat to accept crypto.
“We want to be current and we want people to be able to participate in their political campaigns using all the new technology,” Sprague said.
He clarified that the cryptocurrency vendor chosen for state payments is not the same as the one chosen for his campaign.
“Is there any reasoning with crypto being harder to track?” I asked him.
“The way that we’re doing it is we would accept the crypto — we obviously have reporting requirements — we’re actually gonna convert it into United States dollars, and it’ll be put in the campaign and we’ll report everything just like we normally do,” he said.
Sprague said he doesn’t own any digital assets; however, some other politicians pushing for it have confirmed they invest.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
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ChatGPT’s XRP Analysis: $2.20 Risk Ahead of Oct. 18 ETF  Cryptonews
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Gage Goulding, Reporter, Houston, TX
Gage Divin, Photojournalist, Houston, Texas
Published: October 16, 2025 at 6:29 PM
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Gage Goulding, Reporter, Houston, TX
Gage Divin, Photojournalist, Houston, Texas
HOUSTON – A Houston woman lost thousands of dollars to scammers who used a sophisticated new variation of the classic jury duty scam, complete with falsified federal documents and a cryptocurrency payment scheme.
The victim, who requested anonymity, received what appeared to be a legitimate call from someone claiming to be a deputy, warning of arrest warrants for missing federal jury duty.
“They started with my full name,” the victim recalled. “They said, ‘I’m a deputy, I’m calling regarding some warrants out for your arrest.’”
What made this scam particularly convincing was the level of personal information the scammers possessed.
They sent official-looking arrest warrants via email containing the victim’s full name and even her parents’ address.
“I saw the documents and I looked them over and it looked legit,” she said. “They had like a postal service document that had a signature.”
Unlike traditional scams that request gift cards or bank information, these fraudsters directed the victim to make cryptocurrency payments at a specific location downtown.
The location, advertised as a “federal bonds location,” was actually a storefront with cryptocurrency ATMs.
“I feel so silly now, but it seemed so legit then,” the victim said, noting she didn’t notice red flags like CBD advertisements in the window until later.
The Harris County District Clerk emphasizes that legitimate court officials never call citizens to impose penalties. They advise anyone receiving such calls to report them immediately to law enforcement.
While the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) typically handles such scam reports, their reporting system is currently unavailable due to the government shutdown.
The victim’s advice to others is emphatic: “180 out of the building. 180. End the call, don’t do anything with it.”
Law enforcement officials recommend:
This sophisticated version of the jury duty scam comes as Americans faced more than six billion scam calls last year alone, highlighting the evolving tactics of fraudsters who combine traditional phone scams with cryptocurrency technology.
Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
Gage Goulding is an award-winning TV news reporter and anchor. A native of Pittsburgh, PA, he comes to Texas from Fort Myers, FL, where he covered some of the areas most important stories, including Hurricane Ian.
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Gage Divin is a photojournalist at KPRC, where he’s always chasing the next big story — whether it’s on the field or breaking in real time. Gage is passionate about capturing moments that matter and telling stories that make a difference. His work has earned multiple honors, reflecting his dedication to both the craft and the communities he covers.
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Will Bitcoin Recover After $5.6Bn Miner Sell-Off? Analysts Weigh In on $110K Support and 2020-Style Bottom  99Bitcoins
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XRP Price Prediction: 5x ETF Filing Could Supercharge Gains – Are We About to See $100 XRP?  Cryptonews
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ChatGPT’s XRP analysis has revealed XRP plunging -16.7% over nine days to $2.3843, testing key $2.3375 support as Ripple announces $1 billion GTreasury acquisition targeting multi-trillion dollar corporate treasury market, while Nasdaq receives CoinShares XRP ETF filing ahead of October 18 deadline.
ChatGPT’s XRP analysis synthesizes 27+ technical indicators while testing $2.33 breakdown with ETF approval timeline convergence.Technical Analysis: Complete Bearish Breakdown
XRP at $2.3843 reflects a -1.10% decline from $2.4110, with a nine-day plunge from $2.8638 representing a -16.7% decline through all key support levels. Volume at 135.62M XRP confirms strong selling pressure.Source: TradingView
RSI at 41.65 approaches oversold. Moving averages show a complete bearish structure: 20-day at $2.6854 (+12.6%), 50-day at $2.8106 (+17.9%), 100-day at $2.8013 (+17.5%), 200-day at $2.6146 (+9.7%). All EMAs act as overhead resistance.
The MACD is deeply bearish, currently at -0.0440, with a signal line at -0.1328 and a histogram at -0.0888. ATR at 2.3290 confirms high volatility. Failed recovery attempts validate bearish continuation toward $2.20–$2.00 support zone.Source: TradingView$1B GTreasury Acquisition Meets ETF Filing
its third major 2025 acquisition, purchasing GTreasury for $1 billion to target the corporate treasury market serving Fortune 500 companies.
Community analysis emphasizes “trillions in idle capital will now move through the XRP Ledger.”
BREAKING: Ripple Announces Major Acquisition of GTreasury for $1 Billion, Its Third Major Deal of 2025, Targets Multi-Trillion Dollar Corporate Treasury Market. This spending spree further cements Ripple as the #1 most aggressive acquirer in crypto. … — SwanDesk (@SwanDesk)
the CoinShares XRP ETF filing ahead of the October 18 decision. Garlinghouse expressed optimism about “potential for XRP ETFs to launch this year.”
Speaking with Cryptonews, Ray Youssef, CEO of NoOnes, observes that “high-beta altcoins like Ethereum leading market recovery bounces,” with “ETH, BNB, XRP, and DOGE [usually] posting double-digit gains” following the recent deleveraging event.
Additionally, African expansion also accelerates through Absa Bank’s partnership in South Africa and crypto custody solutions for leading banks.
Ripple is also progressing toward obtaining an operational license in Luxembourg while strengthening XRP Ledger’s DeFi expansion.Distribution During Acquisition Strategy
XRP maintains $140.78B market cap (-3.28%) with $234.97B fully diluted valuation. Volume increased +14.25% to $6.3B, producing a 4.44% volume-to-market cap ratio.
XRP’s market dominance of 3.84% positions it as the fourth-largest cryptocurrency.Source: CoinMarketCap
Holder count reaches 481,020. Circulating supply of 59.91B XRP against 100B maximum indicates 59.91% circulation.
Historical 2025: $3.04 (January), $2.15 (February), $3.18 (July peak), before the current $2.38 correction.
Community debates Ripple’s cash deployment with “companies they’re buying should benefit XRP in the long run when partners decide to use it.“Social Sentiment: ETF Optimism Meets Technical Weakness
LunarCrush shows AltRank at 654 (+269), Galaxy Score at 38 (-9). Engagements at 13.31M (-2.36M) and mentions at 53.98K (+2.09K).
Social dominance surges to 5.3% (+2.5%), sentiment 85% positive (+1%).
, “XRP facing two major resistances – previous support now acting as resistance, 0.618 Fib right above it.” Technical discussions emphasize “XRP looks like it wants to revisit $2.”
is facing two major resistances right now– Previous support (yellow line), now acting as resistance– 0.618 Fib right above itBulls need to punch out a weekly close above ~$2.8 Otherwise, we could see further downside.Watching closely. — Lark Davis (@TheCryptoLark)
The community remains divided between acquisition optimism, with some emphasizing “ETFs around the corner, regulatory clarity, institutions coming into market,” and technical analysts warning, “XRP crashes 15% in just 24 hours.“ChatGPT’s XRP Analysis: Treasury Integration Tests Support
ChatGPT’s XRP analysis reveals XRP at ckey breakdown testing $2.3375. Immediate support at $2.3375, major support at $2.20–$2.30. Breaking these indicates correction toward $2.00.Source: TradingView
Resistance at $2.4665, followed by EMA cluster at $2.6146–$2.6854. Recovery requires reclaim above $2.65.Three-Month XRP ForecastETF Approval Catalyst (40% Probability)
October 18 ETF approval with a hold above $2.33 drives recovery toward $2.80–$3.00 (17–26% upside). Requires $2.65 reclaim and GTreasury momentum.Source: TradingViewExtended Consolidation (35% Probability)
Breakdown below $2.33 results in $2.00–$2.40 consolidation during acquisition integration and regulatory clarity.Source: TradingViewDeeper Correction (25% Probability)
Failure at $2.33 triggers selling toward $2.00–$1.80 (16–26% downside).Source: TradingViewChatGPT’s XRP Analysis: Acquisition Strategy Tests Patience
Next Target: $2.20-$2.00 Within 30 Days, $2.80-$3.00 Within 90 Days
Holding above $2.33 prevents a breakdown toward $2.20.
The October 18 ETF approval could catalyze a recovery toward $2.80, with other catalysts driving the price toward $3.00 or higher.
Failure at $2.33 indicates correction toward $2.00 before institutional adoption and treasury market penetration drive XRP toward $4.00+ targets.
Select market data provided by ICE Data Services. Select reference data provided by FactSet. Copyright © 2025 FactSet Research Systems Inc.Copyright © 2025, American Bankers Association. CUSIP Database provided by FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. SEC fillings and other documents provided by Quartr.© 2025 TradingView, Inc.

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