ChainCatcher news, according to The Street, Florida is expected to launch a strategic Bitcoin reserve in the first quarter of 2025. Samuel Armes, president of the Florida Blockchain Business Association (FBBA), stated that Florida "is very likely to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve during the upcoming legislative session (which will begin in the first quarter of 2025)."It is reported that the plan is based on Florida's existing investments in Bitcoin and crypto-related assets, which are made through its $185.7 billion pension fund, the fourth largest pension fund in the United States. Armes mentioned, "Florida has already invested in Bitcoin and crypto-related assets through our pension fund." He suggested allocating 1% of Florida's $185.7 billion pension fund, which amounts to $1.857 billion.

ChainCatcher news reports that, according to the U.S. police, a Florida man impersonated billionaire Elon Musk on Facebook and scammed over $250,000 from an elderly woman.Earlier this week, police arrested 56-year-old Jeffrey Moynihan, Jr. on charges of grand theft. The Bradenton Police Department stated that financial records show the victim, a woman from Texas, sent at least $250,000 to Moynihan's company in Florida. The victim's husband further told police that she had sent a total of "about $600,000" to Moynihan.Bradenton police said they arrested Moynihan at his home on November 19, noting that the real Elon Musk was likely busy with the sixth SpaceX Starship test flight that day.Police stated that the 74-year-old victim became friends on Facebook with an account named "Elon Musk" in 2023. The woman communicated with the fake account for "months," during which the impersonator encouraged her to invest in his business.The "fake Musk" promised the woman a $55 million return on her investment. However, police indicated that the money went directly into Moynihan and his company "Jeff's Painting and Pressure Washing, LLC" bank accounts.In body camera footage released by the police, Moynihan questioned why they had issued an arrest warrant when he was taken into custody. He asked in the video, "Grand theft? What did I steal?" It is currently unclear whether Moynihan has hired a lawyer. The Bradenton Police Department has not yet commented on this matter.

ChainCatcher message, AP reports that Vice President Harris is expected to win Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, while Trump is expected to win Oklahoma, Florida, and Tennessee.

ChainCatcher news, according to CNN, Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced that as of the morning of that day, over 8.9 million voters in the state had completed their voting, including 8.3 million early and mail-in ballots, as well as an additional 560,000 ballots cast on the day.Byrd stated that all 67 counties in the state were operating normally, all polling places were open as scheduled, and voting was expected to end at 7 PM Eastern Time, with election results to be announced that evening.

ChainCatcher news, according to CNN, as of 7 AM Eastern Time, over 25 states have started presidential election voting, with the states that have just begun voting including:Alabama (some polling places follow Eastern Time and will open at 7 AM Eastern Time, but most polling places follow Central Time and will open at 8 AM Eastern Time).DelawareWashington D.C.FloridaGeorgiaIllinoisKansas (due to time zone reasons, some polling places open at 8 AM)MarylandMassachusetts (cities or towns may choose to open as early as 5:45 AM Eastern Time)Michigan (due to time zone reasons, some polling places open at 8 AM Eastern Time)MissouriPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennessee (polling places with a population over 120,000 must open before 7 AM Eastern Time)

ChainCatcher news, according to ThebBock, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis stated during an interview with CNBC on Thursday that the state's portfolio holds approximately $800 million in crypto-related investments. He would not be surprised by an increase in this number if former President Trump is re-elected next month.Earlier this week, Patronis mentioned in a letter that Florida should invest a portion of the state pension fund into cryptocurrency.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis has suggested that the agency managing the state's retirement funds consider investing in Bitcoin.Patronis wrote in a letter to the Florida State Board of Administration (SBA) yesterday: "Bitcoin is often referred to as 'digital gold,' and it can help diversify the state's portfolio and provide a safe hedge against volatility in other major asset classes."He urged the SBA to "provide a report on the feasibility, risks, and potential benefits of allocating a portion of the state retirement system funds to the digital asset class," and to complete it before the next legislative session scheduled for March 4, 2025.The Florida Small Business Administration manages more than 30 funds, including the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund. As of September 30, the fund manages assets of approximately $205 billion.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jin Shi reports, CNN revealed that the suspect involved in the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Trump has entered a U.S. court in Florida.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, market news indicates that the judge in the Trump case believes the appointment of the special prosecutor is unconstitutional and has dismissed the confidential documents case in Florida.

ChainCatcher news, Trump stated that if he wins a second term, he will ensure that Florida has a lot of cryptocurrency activity.

ChainCatcher news, according to market news, the emergency license suspension order for Binance in Florida has been overturned.

ChainCatcher news, blockchain and SaaS company Bullet Blockchain, Inc. (OTC: BULT) has successfully acquired 40 Bitcoin ATMs located in South Florida, a move that aligns with BULT's commitment to innovation in the ever-evolving digital currency space. The company's CEO Simon Rubin stated that the South Florida market is crucial to the company's overall strategy, and the outlook is very optimistic, with plans to expand its presence and opportunities in 2024. Bullet Blockchain continues to actively advance its licensing program for operators and manufacturers, protecting its intellectual property portfolio.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the NFT lending protocol Gondi's developer Florida Street has completed a $5.3 million seed round financing, led by Hack.vc, with participation from Foundation Capital, Dragonfly Capital, Pantera Capital, 6th Man Ventures, and others.Gondi launched on Tuesday, allowing lenders to sell their NFTs at a fixed interest rate on the platform, while borrowers can use NFTs as collateral or for NFT-based financial applications, with borrowers only needing to pay interest based on the outstanding loan term. Additionally, borrowers can enjoy instant refinancing, ensuring they always have the best loan terms even after initiating the loan. (Source link)

ChainCatcher news, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially signed legislation prohibiting CBDC from being used as currency in the state. (Source link)

ChainCatcher news, Web3 content creator investment tool startup Third Summit has completed a $4.5 million seed round financing, with Florida Innovation Capital (FIC) committing to invest $2.75 million.Third Summit will continue to expand its SaaS platform Alteon. Alteon allows creators to more easily upload, share, review, archive, and collaborate on a universal platform. (Source link)

ChainCatcher news, according to Blockworks, a lawsuit was filed last Friday in Florida, USA, against Binance, Changpeng Zhao, and various influential individuals promoting the trading platform, led by Adam Moskowitz, a senior attorney from the Moskowitz Law Firm.Previously, the law firm represented "hundreds of thousands of victims" in a class action against FTX and Voyager Digital. Moskowitz stated that Binance, FTX, and Voyager, along with their associated individuals, "all sold and promoted unregistered securities." (source link)