While some regulatory agencies and governments are looking to crack down on the cryptocurrency industry, Wyoming is trying to attract it.
State Rep. Tyler Lindholm, a Republican representing the state’s first district, told Cheddar that the state has more than enough energy to support crypto mining.
“We actually only use about 10 percent of the power that we have,” he said during the Thursday interview. “Our wholesale [price for] kilowatt hours is one of the cheapest in the nation. On top of that, It’s diversified. We’ve got wind, we’ve got solar, we’ve got coal, we’ve got gas, and we’ve also got hydro.”
State legislators from both sides of the aisle have put five cryptocurrency-related bills in the pipeline. House Bill 70 is currently awaiting Republican Governor Matt Mead’s signature. If passed into law, it would exempt some crypto assets from securities laws.
State Senator Tara Nethercott (R-District 4) told Cheddar during the interview that Wyoming looks forward to building a partnership with the crypto space.
“I think Wyoming is uniquely situated with the appropriate infrastructure, with the appropriate regulatory environment, the appropriate culture and excitement to be a strong partnership with this particular industry,” she said. “So I have great hope for its future in Wyoming.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-wyoming-is-luring-blockchain-businesses).
According to multiple reports, President Biden's upcoming executive order for the crypto marke would assign some government entities to study cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and NFT's with the goal of developing a workable regulatory framework. Douglas Borthwick, Chief Business Officer at INX, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he elaborates on what role the Biden administration would play under this order.
Nutritional supplement beverage company Athletic Greens has achieved unicorn status. The company announced a new $115 million funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion. The company's flagship product AG1 combines 75 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients into one daily serving. Athletic Greens says it is poised to reach the millions of consumers who are currently driving the health and wellness market's exponential growth. Athletic Greens founder and CEO Chris Ashenden joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Is Spotify a platform for content creators, or is it a media company? The streaming giant may have to find an answer sooner rather than later amid a controversy involving its most popular podcast host, Joe Rogan. Rogan has hosted guests who have made false claims about COVID-19 vaccines, and in turn, some musicians like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have removed their discographies from Spotify in protest. Rogan says he welcomes content advisories, and will balance out his guests going forward, but is it enough? And is Spotify liable in any way? John Freeman, Vice President of CFRA Research, joins Closing Bell to discuss Rogan's response to the controversy, whether Spotify should be considered a media company with responsibility for its content, and more.
The gaming industry has seen multiple large scales deals this month alone, including Microsoft's megadeal for Activision Blizzard. And, seemingly in response, rival Sony, picked up Bungie for $3.6 billion, a studio once owned by both Microsoft and Activision. The sector is reportedly on track to spend $150 billion on mergers and acquisitions just this year alone, a record-breaking total, according to investment firm Drake Star Partners. Michael Metzger, a partner at the firm specializing in technology, media, and communications, joined Cheddar to discuss the flurry of deals in the gaming space and what might be behind the hot M&A activity.
Ari Redbord, head of legal and government affairs and TRM Labs, joins Cheddar News to discuss why Facebook is ditching its crypto project and what that means for the space.
A virtual gathering in the online space, Decentraland, of Elvis Presley impersonators is looking to grab the Guinness World Record for most Elvis impersonators in one place after the record-keeping org recently approved the use of avatars as stand-ins for people.
Tesla reported record profits for an electric fourth quarter, but investors still have plenty of questions. The EV giant will not be releasing any new vehicles this year and provided no updates on its Cybertruck. Cheddar News was joined by Ed Butowsky, Chapwood Investments Managing Partner to go over Tesla's quarter and analyze its concerns going forward.
