Texas closed out the week with major moves across policy, tech, and energy. The state made headlines by becoming the first in the nation to fund a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, purchasing $5M of BTC as part of a $10M program approved by lawmakers.

A sweeping rule change also effectively eliminated the HUB program for women- and minority-owned firms, reducing participation from 15,000+ businesses to just 485 disabled veteran–owned companies, creating confusion among entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, Texas’ AI and data center boom is driving unprecedented strain on the grid. ERCOT reports interconnection requests jumping from 63 GW to 230+ GW in a year—70% from data centers. Texas has approved a $9B transmission “super highway” to handle rising load.

What to watch:
How regulators balance explosive digital infrastructure growth with grid reliability heading into 2026.

This week’s defining story: Texas is now the first state to directly hold Bitcoin as a treasury asset.

Under its new Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, the state purchased ~55 BTC in November as a placeholder while establishing custody arrangements. Lawmakers authorized $10M for the initiative, signaling Texas’ intent to lead in crypto policy and adoption.

Supporters say this aligns the state with long-term Bitcoin growth and strengthens its pro-innovation brand. Even Coinbase cited Texas’ regulatory climate when announcing plans to move its corporate home from Delaware.

Critics warn that Bitcoin’s volatility—from a $126K high in October to the ~$90K range today—makes it a risky use of taxpayer funds. Still, the investment is tiny relative to the state’s $338B budget.

Bottom line: Texas isn’t just welcoming crypto companies—it’s betting on crypto as part of its economic identity.