Andrew Yang says he'd make New York City a 'hub' for bitcoin if elected mayor

Bitcoin • February 11, 2021, 5:51PM EST
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New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang announced that he intends to make the city a "hub for BTC and other cryptocurrencies" if elected. 

Yang made the comment in a tweet posted Thursday evening. He did not elaborate on which measures he plans to take.

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New York has long had heightened regulations in place that have kept some firms from operating within its borders. This includes the New York State Department of Financial Service's BitLicense framework. 

Yang previously ran for president before dropping out of the Democratic primary in February of 2020. Yang has long been a supporter of crypto, and owns bitcoin himself. His presidential platform included a plan to regulate digital assets at the national level during his presidential campaign. He also advocated for blockchain voting. Yang was the only candidate to put forward a crypto-specific policy during his campaign.

Yang is currently leading the polls for the Democratic primary of the Mayoral race.

About Author

Aislinn Keely is a reporter on The Block's policy team holding down the legal beat. She covers court decisions, bankruptcies, regulatory actions and other key moments in the legal sphere, putting them in context for the wider crypto industry. Before The Block, she lent her voice to the NPR affiliate WFUV and helmed Fordham University's student newspaper. Send tips or thoughts on all things policy and legal to [email protected] or follow her on Twitter for updates @AislinnKeely.

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