Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has reportedly proposed programs to make his state friendlier to Bitcoin innovation. The governor’s move gives state-level support to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, and complements previous aid received at the county level.
“Our view as the state government is something we applaud and we want to make sure the state government is crypto-friendly,” DeSantis said, according to a Bloomberg report.
DeSantis proposed a program that would allow companies in Florida to pay government fees in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, along with other cryptocurrency-related proposals that will be included in the state budget for next year.
The move is an attempt to attract more Bitcoin investments to Florida. This year, the state has seen an influx of related entrepreneurs and businesses as new developments and welcome officials pour into the Bitcoin narrative. Suarez began these efforts, advocating friendlier regulation and new developments at the city level to allow Bitcoin-related innovations to thrive.
Suarez first suggested that Miami incorporate Bitcoin into its operations earlier this year. The resolution aimed to allow residents to pay city fees and property taxes in bitcoin, and allow city workers to be paid in bitcoin. The proposal was also aimed at allowing Miami to hold BTC. The mayor later received assistance from Miami-Dade County in setting up a cryptocurrency task force to assess the feasibility of similar developments at the county level.
DeSantis is the newest Florida official to show interest in enabling Bitcoin payments. Government support could improve Miami’s chances of getting the necessary legislation through, as most proposals have since stalled. In October, Suarez said his plan to pay city employees in bitcoin was progressing. Still, the lack of developments in this direction led the mayor to look for an alternative and use the Lightning payment app Strike to get a paycheck in BTC.
While improvements and developments in city, county, and state laws have largely failed to materialize, the publicity of the promises and enthusiasm for Bitcoin has driven companies, enthusiasts, and conferences to Florida. And that’s the first step as lawmakers are still struggling to deal with the peer-to-peer money network.
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