BlocksInform
Mayor Steve Adler of Austin, TX, has fully embraced the discovery of what blockchain technology and crypto payments can bring to his city with two new initiatives.
The first initiative aims to ensure that Texas’s fourth-largest city promotes the benefits of blockchain technologies and “promotes equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion” in the technological ecosystem. For this purpose, adler may asked the city manager to explore how the city can use web3 and blockchain in 20 fields of smart contracts, managing the supply chain, and insurance of the arts, media, fundraising, and authentication.
“the city manager is directed to ensure the city is helping to create an environment within city government and in the community generally that supports the creation and development of new technologies, including, but not limited to, blockchain and other web3technologies, protocols, and applications.”
Mayor Adler’s second initiative orders the City Manager to conduct a “fact-finding study” on how the city could adopt Bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrency-related policies. Thanks to these efforts, Mayor Adler seems intent on finding ways for Austin residents to legally pay their bills with crypto.
Austin is pleased to support companies and innovations that will turn the promises of web3, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology into reality. Thanks to @MK6ATX for her resolution and @RaffiSapire, @consensus2022, @JoshuaBaer, and @PrestonLJ2 for their leadership! #SXSW pic.twitter.com/HdmuGA0l2Y
— Mayor Adler | Get vaccinated! (@MayorAdler) March 11, 2022
In the context of this initiative, the city manager should find ways to allow "acceptance of bitcoin or other cryptocurrency as payment of municipal taxes, fees, and penalties" as the first set of policies for consideration.
The success of both initiatives will be based on the level of effect of new applications on the daily lives of Austin residents. The proposals will be voted on by the city council on March 24.
Austin’s City Council has been considering blockchain technological integrations since at least 2020 when a proposal was made to use smart contracts for the MyPass identity verification protocol.
Austin is in league with Miami, New York and the State of Colorado in rapidly expanding exploration efforts and the proposed implementation of policies related to cryptocurrency. Miami and New York have already launched their own city-wide coin projects through City Coin on the Stacks layer-1 blockchain, while Austin’s own program is still in development.
Related: The city of Lugano will accept Bitcoin, Tether and LVGA coins as de facto legal tender.
Philadelphia has expressed interest in joining the City Coins program, while Colorado’s Governor Jared Polis said in a Feb. 15 interview that the state will accept crypto for “state tax-related purposes.” He later expected to accept cryptography for a wider range of government services.
