Florida Governor Proposes Crypto Payment Pilot for Businesses

Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis has revealed a proposal that would let businesses pay state fees in crypto. This is yet another crypto-friendly law that the state is reviewing, adding to its list of actions supporting the digital asset market.

DeSantis put forward the proposal to let businesses pay state fees in cryptocurrencies, as revealed in a slew of crypto-related proposals in the state’s budget for 2022. DeSantis was speaking in Tallahassee on Dec 9, where he spoke at length about blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies.

DeSantis’ statements come after Florida’s mayor Francis Suarez has touted the benefits of the technology throughout the year. Among the ideas that DeSantis put forth were pilot programs to use blockchain for Medicaid payments. It appears that DeSantis is also very keen on crypto and that the latest speech is more than just hollow words, as he said,

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.

Mayor Suarez has been known to be supportive of cryptocurrencies, after having taken several actions and making several statements indicating the same. Florida is becoming more of a hub for cryptocurrency and blockchain development, with the state’s authorities pushing new laws to support the industry.

One of these is the push for salary payments in bitcoin, which drew strong headlines from the media. Suarez himself said that he would take one of his paychecks in bitcoin, which is a strong sign of conviction.

Florida becoming a hotbed for crypto activity

The state of Florida has made news in the United States for its rapid support of the cryptocurrency market. Florida has even become one of the first “crypto cities,” with MiamiCoin supporting the city’s economic growth and development. MiamiCoin raised $1 million in just a week as it benefited from the 30% revenue from the token.

It went even further in supporting the industry by disbursing $21 million in locally mined crypto to citizens. Such actions show that crypto is becoming entrenched in the state. Mayor Suarez has been working to attract miners to South Florida, speaking to energy officials to help facilitate the process.

Other U.S. states are also considering the adoption of crypto-friendly laws, but Miami has been leading the charge. Even as federal authorities are working on regulation, states are independently coming up with priorities that suit their own agenda.