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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 5 May 2022
California moves to embrace cryptocurrency and regulate it

By DON THOMPSON for government services in
Associated Press 2018, though the program
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) was soon discontinued be-
— California, which would cause few people used it.
have the world's fifth-larg- Colorado Gov. Jared Po-
est economy if it was a lis, also a Democrat, said
country, on Wednesday in February that his state
became the first U.S. state would begin accepting
to formally begin examin- cryptocurrency for govern-
ing how to broadly adapt ment services later this year.
to cryptocurrency and re- California lawmakers are
lated innovations, following among many around the
a path laid out by President the U.S. who have offered
Joe Biden in March. related legislation. But a bill
Gov. Gavin Newsom by Democratic Sen. Sydney
signed an executive order Kamlager to allow Califor-
for state agencies to move nia to accept crypto assets
in tandem with the federal for state services failed in
government to craft regu- its first committee this year
lations for digital curren- and a similar bill by Repub-
cies. It also calls for officials lican Assemblyman Jordan
to explore incorporating Cunningham is stalled.
broader blockchain com- Similar measures have
puter coding into the gov- In this Feb. 9, 2021, photo, the Bitcoin logo appears on the display screen of a cryptocurrency ATM been introduced in Ari-
ernment operations of the at a store in Salem, N.H. Associated Press zona, Wyoming and other
state where much of the states.
world's technological inno- should be out front in fig- latory and business environ- records. The records are Despite the potential pit-
vation is born. uring out how to adapt to ment for crypto assets." held on many computers falls of cryptocurrency,
Evolving blockchain and new technologies. Cryptocurrencies, which that together form a glob- Newsom's order says Cali-
cryptocurrency technol- "Too often government lags are built on blockchain da- al network so that no one fornia should take the lead
ogy "is potentially an explo- behind technological ad- tabase technology, have and no institution can con- in figuring out how to adapt
sive creator of new compa- vancements, so we're get- exploded in popularity in trol them. There is heavy to the technological evolu-
nies and new jobs and new ting ahead of the curve on recent years. About 16% of disagreement about the tion.
opportunities," said Dee this, laying the foundation U.S. adults have invested in, legitimacy of cryptocurren- His order builds on a July
Dee Myers, a senior advisor to allow for consumers and traded, or used cryptocur- cy, even among some of 2020 report by the Califor-
to Newsom and director business to thrive," New- rencies and the percent- the world's richest people. nia Blockchain Working
of the Governor's Office of som, a Democrat, said in a age is much higher among Elon Musk is an avid sup- Group, which examined
Business and Economic De- statement. younger men. Biden's ex- porter of dogecoin while the use of blockchain along
velopment. California has about 39 mil- ecutive order in part asks Warren Buffet recently said with its risks and benefits.
"So there are a lot of oppor- lion residents and its econ- the Federal Reserve to con- he wouldn't pay $25 for all California that same year
tunities," she said. "There's omy is more than $3.1 tril- sider whether it should cre- of the world's bitcoin, the created a new Depart-
also a lot of unknowns in lion, larger on its own as a ate its own digital currency. most popular cryptocurren- ment of Financial Protec-
the industry and so that's U.S. state than the United Blockchain creates the un- cy. Each bitcoin is currently tion and Innovation from
another reason we want to Kingdom and India. New- derlying transparency of a valued at about $38,000. what had been the Depart-
engage early." som said his order is a step decentralized but publicly While California may be first ment of Business Oversight,
Newsom's order says the toward making it the na- viewable ledger. The tech- to try to develop a compre- with a goal of evaluating
state — home to Silicon Val- tion's first state "to establish nology can also be used to hensive approach, Ohio emerging risks and oppor-
ley and financial innovators a comprehensive, thought- record other types of infor- was the first to attempt to tunities while protecting
like PayPal and Square — ful, and harmonized regu- mation, such as property accept virtual currency consumers.q

Satanic Temple asks Boston to fly flag

after court ruling

The Salem-based group that the group wants to Greaves said, but one likely
tweeted a request filed show that religious liberty option echoes the Ameri-
Tuesday with the city prop- must mean respect for "all can flag, only with black
erty management depart- forms" of religious practice and white stripes and an
ment to raise a flag mark- and religious opinion. emblem of a pentagram
ing "Satanic Appreciation "When government offi- and goat skull where the 50
Week" from July 23-29. cials are able to impose stars would be.
The American flag, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag, Mayor Michelle Wu's office arbitrary restrictions on The Satanic Temple is sep-
and the City of Boston flag, from left, fly outside Boston City Hall, declined to comment on claims of conscience, or to arate from the Church of
Monday, May 2, 2022, in Boston. the group's request other abridge the civic capaci- Satan, which was founded
Associated Press than to say it's reviewing ties of some based on their in the 1960s. Founded in
By PHILIP MARCELO Court ruled this week that the high court's decision religious identity, we fail to 2013, the Satanic Temple
Associated Press the city violated the free while also evaluating its be a free, democratic re- doesn't believe in Satan
BOSTON (AP) — The Satan- speech rights of a conser- flag-raising program. public," he wrote in part. and describes itself as a
ic Temple is requesting to vative activist seeking to fly Lucien Greaves, the orga- The organization hasn't de- "non-theistic religious orga-
fly a flag over Boston City a Christian flag outside the nization's co-founder, said cided which of its official nization" that advocates
Hall after the U.S. Supreme downtown building. in an email Wednesday flags it will ask the city to fly, for secularism.q