Nevada governor Steve Sisolak said the proposal would turn Nevada into “the epicenter of this emerging industry and create the high-paying jobs and revenue that go with it.”
Blockchain incubator and investment firm Blockchains LLC is progressing in its plans to create a smart city in the Nevada desert. Blockchains LLC revealed details on its plans to build the smart city in an interview with the Associated Press.
In the interview released on the 13th of February, the CEO of Blockchains LLC Jeffrey Berns revealed that he had asked the state government to companies like Blockchains LLC to create local governments on their owned lands. Berns also asked the state of Nevada to let Blockchains LLC form a local government on the company’s landed property in Storey County.
Notably, Blockchains LLC owns 67,000 acres (271 square kilometers) in Storey County.
If Blockchains LLC receives approval from the state government to build its smart city, Berns hopes to have a city where only digital currencies are accepted. Apart from paying for goods and services with digital currencies, the residents will also upload their financial statements, medical records, and personal data on a blockchain.
In the released interview, Associated Press revealed that Blockchains LLC is proposing to construct 15,000 homes within 75 years. During the same period, the company hopes to build 3 million square meters of commercial and industrial space.
Speaking on plans for the smart city, Berns said:
“There’s got to be a place somewhere on this planet where people are willing to start from scratch and say, ‘We’re not going to do things this way just because it’s the way we’ve done it.”
Additionally, Berns desires Nevada lawmakers to allow innovation zones to let companies have authority like county government. Berns wants Nevada laws to allow companies to create court systems, make land and water management decisions, impose taxes and build infrastructure.
Nevada Lawmakers React to Blockhains LLC’s Proposed Smart City
The smart city proposal by Blockchain LLC has raised reactions from Nevada lawmakers. Nevada governor Steve Sisolak said the proposal would turn Nevada into “the epicenter of this emerging industry and create the high-paying jobs and revenue that go with it.”
Nevada State Senator Ben Kieckhefer who is also a Republican, commented:
“I don’t know enough yet to say whether I’m comfortable with it as the next step or not. But, look, it’s a big idea and Nevada has been built on big ideas, so let’s hear it out.”
The Associated Press report stated that most of Blockchains LLC’s properties are located in Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center. However, Storey County’s master plan does not include the building of residential houses in the location. Berns reacted:
“We bought 70,000 acres of land in the county. What did they think we were going to do?… For us to be able to take risks and be limber, nimble and figure things out like you do when you’re designing new products, that’s not how government works. So why not let us create a government that lets us do those things?”
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