Gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman vows to scrap New York's BitLicense

During a press event at PubKey, a Greenwich Village venue that accepts crypto payments, Republican gubernatorial contender Bruce Blakeman announced his intention to discard New York's BitLicense system if elected. Introduced in 2015, the regulation mandates a license—often costing over $10,000—for any firm buying or selling digital currency in the state, a hurdle many startups cite as prohibitive. Blakeman accused Governor Kathy Hochul of treating crypto as an adversary and refusing dialogue, labeling her stance as "my way or the highway."

He warned that a per-transaction tax would cripple crypto activity and pledged to sit down with industry players to devise a workable framework. Although he does not currently own cryptocurrency, Blakeman expressed interest in acquiring some once affordable. He also warned New York City’s mayor against policies that could harm the state’s economy.