Friends and supporters of BTC #8: Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis
44, Republican, he graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School, joined the United States Navy in 2004 and served as a Special Assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida.
In March 2022 Gov. DeSantis said that Florida was “figuring out ways” to allow businesses to pay taxes in Bitcoin and signed a bill calling for financial literacy classes for school students.
He also was concerned about U.S. President Joe Biden’s digital currency-focused executive order that defined a national policy for digital assets through six key priorities:
- protect U.S. consumers, investors, and businesses
- protect U.S. and global financial stability
- mitigate the illicit finance and national security risks posed by the illicit use of digital assets
- promote U.S. leadership in technology and economic competitiveness to reinforce U.S. leadership in the global financial system
- support technological advances and ensure responsible development and use of digital assets
- explore a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC).
According to DeSantis, there’s a lack of understanding when it comes to decentralized crypto assets and centralized digital bank currencies.
Already in December 2021 in his budget recommendations to lawmakers, DeSantis requested $200,000 for the Department of Financial Services to allow businesses to use cryptocurrency for state fees.
He also said the State would launch pilot programs to explore the use of Blockchain technology for Medicaid payments and vehicle titles, with the latter running through the Department of Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. “Our view as the State government is this is something that we welcome and we want to make sure that the state government is crypto-friendly,” DeSantis said. The Governor together with the Mayor of Miami Francis Xavier Suarez aims to make Florida a hub of crypto investments, where a lot of entrepreneurs are embracing the industry.
“Florida encourages cryptocurrency as a means of commerce and furthering Florida’s attractiveness to businesses and economic growth,” DeSantis wrote in Florida’s 2022–23 budget proposal (Freedom First Budget). Blockchain.com, Etoro, and FTX already have locations in Florida and Miami.
A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.
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