Blockchains LLC CEO Berns to build ‘smart city’ in Nevada

CEO of Nevada-based technology firm Blockchain LLC Jeffrey Berns aims to create a city that operates on blockchain technology using the 67,000 acres of rural land he owns.

The cryptocurrency tycoon calls for amendments in the laws of Nevada that would give companies the authority to form independent communities with similar functions and characteristics as that of a county government.

‘There’s got to be a place somewhere on this planet where people are willing to just start from scratch and say, “We’re not going to do things this way just because it’s the way we’ve [always] done it,” Berns stated.

According to Berns, traditional governments limit the potential of people to explore and come up with innovative uses for digital currencies.

‘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 [the] government works. So why not let us just create a government that lets us do those things?’ Berns argued.

Since local governments have already tried using blockchains in government functions, Berns believes that Nevada is no longer new to the concept. In 2018, Washoe County started documenting marriage licenses on the digital ledger while Utah County used a blockchain-based voting app during the 2020 presidential general election.

As part of his proposal, he envisions using blockchains in all kinds of transactions in the proposed smart city, including the documentation of personal records and financial statements.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers of the state of Nevada have varying opinions on the proposal.

‘I don’t know enough yet to say whether I’m comfortable with this 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,’ declared state Senator Ben Kieckhefer, who had previously supported laws on blockchain in 2017 and 2019.

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak also expressed positive sentiments on the proposal, stating that Bern’s plans may stand a chance to come to fruition. Moreover, in the previous political campaign of Governor Sisolak, he declared that Blockchains LLC plays a crucial role in the improvement of the state’s economy after the misfortunes brought by the pandemic.

Sisolak said that Berns’ idea of a technologically-advanced city would turn their state into ‘the epicenter of this emerging industry and create the high-paying jobs and revenue that go with it’.