Aarika Rhodes, a Democrat running to represent California's 30th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, has begun to accept campaign contributions in Bitcoin using the Lightning Network. In a Tuesday message to her more than 21,000 Twitter followers, Rhodes said her campaign website had started using Lighting for campaign contributions in addition to the BitPay options for Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). According to the congressional candidate, the move was aimed at making her campaign more accessible for voters, who will consider Rhodes in California’s primary election in June 2022 and potentially the general election later that …

California has emerged as the most crypto-ready jurisdiction in the United States thanks to the proliferation of cryptocurrency ATMs and growing interest in digital assets among the state’s population, according to new industry research from review site Crypto Head. With a score of 5.72 out of 10, California edged out New Jersey (5.44), Texas (5.28), Florida (5.03) and New York (4.29) in the crypto-ready index. The state’s point total was also 2.54 points higher than the national average. The results were tabulated using metrics such as crypto-related Google searches, the presence of Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrency ATMs, and the …

Crypto derivatives exchange FTX has purchased the naming rights to the University of California’s Cal Memorial Stadium with a view to introducing its own branding. The Sam Bankman-Fried-owned derivatives exchange is delving deeper into sports after signing a 10-year, $17.5-million naming rights deal with the university. The stadium’s home team, the California Golden Bears, will now play its games at newly rebranded FTX Field this football season, according to Bloomberg. The $17.5 million will also be paid to the university in the form of crypto assets. The deal is FTX’s latest foray into sponsoring sports to drum up awareness of …

Decarbbitcoin Labs, an environmentally-focused think tank founded by Community Electricity, is taking a hands-on approach to fighting climate change in California — and is using Bitcoin (BTC) mining as its first prototype. Building off California’s Environmental Justice Program, whose mission is to protect communities that endure a disproportionate share of environmental pollution, Decarbbitcoin Labs is developing a first-of-its-kind prototype in Los Angeles aimed at not only decarbonizing the community but also proving how green Bitcoin will be mined. Austin Davis, co-founder of Community Electricity, told Cointelegraph that Environmental Justice Communities across the state receive over $1 billion in funding for …

Dave Kaval, president of Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics, says the ball club will be HODLing any Bitcoin that fans pay for luxury seats at the team ballpark in the San Francisco Bay Area. In an interview with Bloomberg on Friday, Kaval said no baseball fans had yet taken advantage of the opportunity to buy a full season, six-person suite for the home season for 1 Bitcoin (BTC) since the deal was first announced on March 15. Though the A’s club president said he was still hopeful “two or three” people will buy tickets for the ten suites available, he …

The new applications and measures being implemented by public health authorities across the world during the COVID-19 pandemic have sparked debate over how to balance biosurveillance with individuals' right to the privacy of their personal information. In California, the Collaborative Charter Services Organization, which provides administrative support services to charter schools, has chosen to roll out a pandemic management system that prioritizes its users' data privacy. Called "Team.Care Network," the blockchain solution was developed by healthcare startup Solve.Care and runs as a mobile application. Solve.Care said the solution will help schools to track possible COVID-19 exposure in their community and …

Only 10 days after announcing he would run for California state governor, long-time Bitcoin proponent and billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya has backed away from the idea in a Feb. 2 episode of The All In Podcast. E20 is here! -- @Jason & @chamath reconcile -- Robinhood wrap up, lessons learned -- Insiders vs. Outsiders -- California's failing report card (& how to fix it) -- @chamath tells his @azizansari story : https://t.co/IFp93HhAly : https://t.co/yw533KnP4J — The All-In Podcast (@theallinpod) February 3, 2021 Palihapitiya, who started investing in Bitcoin in 2012, has been a vocal critic of current California Governor Gavin …

A Brexit-inspired plan wants to make California its own nation, separate from the USA. The people behind the plan are now looking to establish cryptocurrencies as the financial backbone of the proposed nation. The movement is called “Yes California,” though it is more commonly known as the “Calexit movement.” The group recently appointed a Blockchain expert named Alastair Caithness to analyze how an economy based on digital assets like Bitcoin (BTC) could be used to guarantee a Universal Basic Income, or UBI, for citizens. Caithness praised the idea of a future crypto-based economy, which he believes could “finance a level …

California’s Senate Banking and Financial Institutions committee has passed a bill seeking to define digital assets and measure its impact on the state and consumer protections. Assembly Bill 2150, which can potentially influence how federal regulators approach digital assets, unanimously passed the Senate’s Banking and Financial Institutions committee. It will be discussed in the Committee on Appropriations as early as August 17. The bill had previously passed the California Assembly before moving to the Senate. The bill, first proposed by California Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon, initially sought to presume digital assets are not securities. However, amendments to the bill …

The Tezos (XTZ) class-action lawsuit from law firm Block & Leviton will likely conclude in a $25-million settlement on August 27. Tezos, like many initial coin offerings (ICO) from 2017, has come under scrutiny from both investors and regulators alike alleging that its token sale constituted an illegal offering of securities. Indeed, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has come down hard on numerous 2017-era ICOs demanding penalties for securities violation. Even distributions to non-U.S. citizens have also come under the SEC’s radar, as was the case with Telegram. The SEC has consistently maintained that most ICOs are indeed …

After attempting to sell her home, California-based psychologist Mary Shea is suing buyer, Mike Cherwenka, for attempting to pay for 30% of the property’s value in the form of a “worthless” crypto asset called ‘Troptions.Gold.’ The dispute has left her unable to sell the home as Cherwenka’s company still claims an interest in it. Shea accuses Cherwenka and his company Best Buy Homes of violating securities and state racketeering laws by misleading herself and other members of the public as to the nature of the Troption virtual currency. Her complaint states: “Cherwenka and Best Buy defrauded Shea by executing a …

For crypto enthusiasts, choosing a location to live in that supports an ideal lifestyle extends beyond searching for a city with a high number of shops and retail outlets that accept crypto. Sure, any crypto enthusiast will benefit from living in an area with easy access to crypto-related amenities. However, as the world of crypto evolves and more crypto debit cards appear, crypto enthusiasts are realizing that direct crypto spending is not the only factor to consider when choosing a place to call home. The political stability of the location, the weather and internet broadband speed are some of the …