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Pro-Bitcoin Politician Ian Calderon Enters California Governor Race — Can BTC Benefit?

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Former California Assembly member Ian Calderon has formally launched his marketing campaign for governor, bringing a powerful pro-Bitcoin stance into what’s already shaping as much as be a crowded Democratic major.

Calderon, 39, introduced his candidacy on Tuesday in a video posted to social media, the place he emphasised the necessity for a “new technology of management” to deal with California’s affordability disaster.

Calderon Brings Pro-Bitcoin Agenda to Crowded California Democratic Primary

Calderon isn’t any stranger to politics. First elected to the Assembly in 2012 to signify District 57 in Los Angeles County, he later served as Assembly Majority Leader from 2016 to 2020.

He selected to not search reelection in 2020, citing a need to spend extra time together with his younger household, and went on to launch lobbying agency Majority Advisors, the place he has been CEO. His candidacy additionally extends the legacy of a political household with deep ties to Sacramento.

His father, Charles Calderon, held seats in each the Assembly and Senate, whereas his uncles Ron and Tom additionally served within the legislature. His stepmother, Lisa Calderon, now represents the identical district he as soon as did.

What distinguishes Calderon’s marketing campaign is his open endorsement of Bitcoin. In his first post to X following the announcement, he declared his imaginative and prescient for California to turn out to be “the undisputed chief on Bitcoin,” a message he additionally reiterated in his marketing campaign video.

His place builds on earlier efforts throughout his time in workplace, when he explored the potential for Bitcoin integration on the state degree, regardless of constitutional limits on states recognizing authorized tender.

The announcement comes as California, dwelling to main crypto companies reminiscent of Coinbase, continues to play a pivotal position in shaping nationwide tech and monetary coverage.

Calderon’s pro-crypto stance may appeal to donations from Silicon Valley and the broader digital asset group, doubtlessly giving him an edge in marketing campaign financing.

His entry additional complicates the race to switch Governor Gavin Newsom, who can not run once more in 2026. Other Democratic contenders already within the area embrace former U.S. Representative Katie Porter, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Los Angeles’ former mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state senator Toni Atkins, and Diamond Resorts founder Stephen Cloobeck.

For Bitcoin, Calderon’s candidacy signifies how digital belongings are transferring into mainstream political debates. While his marketing campaign faces a aggressive area, his pro-Bitcoin platform ensures cryptocurrency will stay a part of California’s 2026 gubernatorial dialog.

California Pushes Digital Asset Adoption With New Laws and Pilot Programs

California is advancing a sweeping framework for digital belongings, positioning itself alongside New York as a key regulatory state. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Digital Financial Assets Law (DFAL) last year, a licensing regime set to take impact in July 2025.

The regulation requires all people and companies providing crypto companies within the state to acquire a license from the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI), with strict obligations for audits, record-keeping, and client safeguards. Noncompliant companies threat enforcement actions.

The DFPI has been given 18 months to implement the regulation, which is broadly seen as California’s equal to New York’s BitLicense. License holders will likely be required to maintain monetary data for at the least 5 years, together with detailed month-to-month ledgers of belongings and liabilities.

Lawmakers have additionally superior complementary laws. In June, the Assembly unanimously approved AB 1180, making a pilot program for paying state charges with digital belongings. The program will run till 2031 and requires DFPI to submit an in depth report by 2028 on transaction volumes, challenges, and potential broader adoption.

Separately, AB 1052 was approved to update unclaimed property laws, making certain dormant cryptocurrencies held by custodians are preserved of their native kind quite than liquidated. The invoice now heads to the Senate for overview.

The submit Pro-Bitcoin Politician Ian Calderon Enters California Governor Race — Can BTC Benefit? appeared first on Cryptonews.

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