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).
After nearly a century, General Motors is no longer the top-selling automaker in America. Toyota has dethroned the long-reigning champ to become the leader in U.S. auto sales for the first time, and the first non-domestic automaker to take that title. The Japanese automaker outsold GM by about 114,000 vehicles, or 5% more, in 2021. Al Root, senior writer for Barron's, joined Cheddar to discuss the meaning behind these numbers.
This year's worldwide semiconductor shortage limited the supply of everything from new cars to smart phones.
Looking ahead, several experts in the chip industry expect the shortage to continue deep into 2022, and maybe even 2023. Syed Alam, Accenture's Global Semiconductor Lead, joined Cheddar Movers to discuss.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating roughly 580,000 Tesla vehicles due to their front touch screen 'passenger play' gaming feature amid concerns over possible distracted driving. The investigation covers Tesla models ranging from the years 2017-2022. Brian Moody, Executive Editor at Autotrader, joined Cheddar Movers for more.
After a two-week delay of 5G deployment at airports due to the airline industry's claims it will cause "catastrophic disruption," AT&T and Verizon are set to roll out the service on January 19. Michael Boyd, CEO of aviation consultancy Boyd Group International, joined Cheddar to discuss the concerns being voiced by the airlines. "If the airline industry thinks it's going to be something to disrupt our system or impair safety, it shouldn't roll out at all, period," Boyd said, noting that the telecom giants should rethink the activation over safety and security.
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, a private-public fund backed by Bill Gates, is planning to invest up to $15 billion in clean technology initiatives across the U.S., UK, and European Union. It will target four key areas and help fund large projects that otherwise would not be financially possible. Bobby Hollis, Director of Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
An economic development agency, the Northwest Arkansas Council, is looking to draw technology professionals to their region of the Southern state with incentives like $10,000 worth of Bitcoin and a new bicycle. Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the private nonprofit made up of companies like Walmart and Tyson Foods, joined Cheddar to talk about the program to further power his local economy. "By offering the payment in Bitcoin, we're looking to identify those people with interest and expertise in the underlying technologies, the blockchain technologies," he said.
