Governor Newsom signs an EO to “create a transparent regulatory and business environment for Web3 companies”, directing state agencies to recommend next steps
and saw the jobs and companies that emerged here in CA and throughout the US — proud to see @GavinNewsom leading on Web3 https://www.gov.ca.gov/... Jake Snow / @snowjake : This is a good example of leveraging the government to give credibility to a technology that can't offer a justification for itself. https://www.gov.ca.gov/...
ProtocolBenjamin Pimentel
Context & Ripple Effects
This 2022 order is the opening move in what became Gavin Newsom's signature governing method for emerging tech: bypass the legislature, sign an executive order, and task state agencies with drafting the policy. The Web3 version asked agencies only to 'recommend next steps' toward a friendlier regulatory climate — a credibility signal to an industry that critics like Jake Snow argued couldn't justify itself on its own terms.
California state agencies are now on the clock to produce Web3 policy recommendations, giving crypto companies operating in the state a named point of contact in government for the first time.
Web3 firms gain an official state endorsement of their legitimacy — exactly the credibility the order's critics say the technology cannot generate for itself.
Second-order effects
Other states competing for crypto jobs and company relocations face pressure to match California's welcoming posture or cede the sector's tax base and headcount.
Federal financial regulators now have a large-state counterweight arguing for clarity rather than enforcement-first treatment of Web3 businesses.
Third-order effects
If the pattern holds, executive orders become the default instrument of US tech governance — fast, reversible, and set by one governor's posture — as later seen when the same approach produced both SB 53's mandates and the 2026 subsidy study for companies that don't replace workers with AI.
State-level credibility-granting becomes a contested political act: each order invites the counterargument that government endorsement substitutes for a technology making its own case.
The trend: Governors are replacing legislation with executive orders as the primary tool for setting state posture toward emerging technologies, with California's sequence from Web3 welcome to AI guardrails marking the shift.
CA is the first state in the nation to begin creating a comprehensive & harmonized framework for responsible blockchain technology to thrive. We're aiming to create a pipeline of talent for the emerging industry & utilize the technology for public good. https://www.cnbc.com/...
I am not hopeful ... This is not the same vibe as, say, Miami: “We want to become the blockchain capital” ... This is more of a “We're going to study this and create new regulations.” We could end up with a Bitlicense or #AB5-style madness. https://www.gov.ca.gov/...
I've been saying for quite some time to keep your attention on #California. Kudos to Governor @GavinNewsom for recognizing early the importance of an action like this to secure CA's position as a leader in this new innovative economy. https://twitter.com/...
Big day for DAOmocracy! Today's CA Executive Order illustrates an enlightened and constructive approach to providing legal clarity for blockchain and the great companies in the web3 ecosystem https://www.gov.ca.gov/...
Always hard to tell whether actions like this are meant to restrict or empower citizens (usually the former) but what's indisputable is that the open-source revolution that Satoshi quietly started in obscurity 13 years ago is now forcing the hand of the world's largest economies …
The Executive Order signed by Gov Newsom in California to encourage Web3 innovation is very encouraging. ✍🏼 Despite California not having the best rep for being business friendly, the states taking charge on creating crypto friendly regulations is a welcome sight!
New this AM: @CAgovernor signed an EO on #blockchain, making CA the first state in the nation to begin creating a comprehensive framework for responsible Web3 tech to thrive. This will create a pipeline of talent and utilize tech for the public good. https://www.gov.ca.gov/...
Really excited to see CA taking the initiative on blockchain policy to protect consumers, provide oversight, and help grow the economy. Excited to work with @GavinNewsom on this! https://www.gov.ca.gov/...
California sees the opportunity in web3. It could be particularly instrumental in establishing a workable legal entity structure for DAOs. https://www.gov.ca.gov/...
1/ Today, @GavinNewsom signed a Blockchain Executive Order that aims to promote responsible #web3 innovation. The approach looks collaborative, holistic and industry-friendly. https://www.gov.ca.gov/...
As a Californian who has been here for both Web1 and Web2 — and saw the jobs and companies that emerged here in CA and throughout the US — proud to see @GavinNewsom leading on Web3 https://www.gov.ca.gov/...
This is a good example of leveraging the government to give credibility to a technology that can't offer a justification for itself. https://www.gov.ca.gov/...