- Ian Calderon, former California Assembly majority leader, announced his campaign for governor and pledged to put Bitcoin on the state’s balance sheet.
- Calderon promised to support crypto payments for state programs and called for California to lead in digital asset adoption.
- He previously advanced blockchain policy through AB 2658 and worked with the Satoshi Action Fund on Bitcoin legislation.
- Current legislative efforts, AB 1180 and AB 1052, involve stablecoin pilots and crypto unclaimed property regulations, but do not permit the state to hold Bitcoin directly.
- Experts describe Calderon’s proposal as ambitious, noting that holding Bitcoin would be significant for a state economy the size of California’s.
Ian Calderon, a former leader in the California Assembly, has announced his run for governor. Calderon pledged on Tuesday to add Bitcoin to California’s balance sheet and make crypto payments available for state programs if elected.
Calderon, a Democrat, stated his intention to place California at the forefront of Bitcoin adoption. He said via a social media post that California should reclaim its spot as a technology leader and become the top state for Bitcoin. In a livestream, Calderon confirmed his plan: “make sure that we hold Bitcoin on our balance sheet” and back the use of crypto for public sector payments.
In a separate campaign video, Calderon explained, “My generation pays bills on our phones, we send money to each other with Venmo and we save in Bitcoin. But the people running our government, they’re trying to use yesterday’s ideas to solve today’s problems, and it isn’t working.”
Calderon’s approach is supported by his earlier work. He helped pass AB 2658 in 2018 to establish a blockchain working group in California, and later partnered with the Satoshi Action Fund in 2022 to explore legislation to recognize Bitcoin as legal tender. Calderon also contributed to a 2020 policy roadmap for blockchain technology in the state.
Robert Boris Mofrad from Serenity, a blockchain data company, said Calderon’s pro-Bitcoin stance means crypto is now a mainstream topic in politics. He called the idea of California holding Bitcoin “ambitious and daring,” noting the challenges of treating Bitcoin as an asset in state finances, which typically requires reporting losses but not gains.
As Calderon campaigns, the state legislature is advancing AB 1180 (to let agencies test stablecoin payments starting in 2026) and AB 1052 (to handle inactive crypto accounts under state unclaimed property law). Neither bill, however, allows the state to hold Bitcoin directly, which highlights the difference between Calderon’s platform and current laws.
California continues to shape crypto regulation while Calderon’s campaign calls for a new approach to state policy on digital assets.
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