Share this article
Governor: Colorado Startups Have Raised $50M in Venture Capital
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis joined CoinDesk at ETHDenver where he talked about the future of crypto regulation.
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 12:18 p.m. Published Feb 15, 2020, 8:00 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
DENVER – Colorado Gov. Jared Polis sat down with CoinDesk at ETHDenver, the third edition of the ethereum hackathon in the Mile High City.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
A digital native noted for launching multiple internet enterprises, Polis led the charge for bitcoin and other digital assets in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2009 to 2019.
"Colorado is the center of the blockchain economy. We’ve attracted over $50 million in venture capital for blockchain startups," he said.
He's excited to back in the driver's seat on a regional level. Working in the federal government, he said, was frustrating.
"Advocating at the national level, you can do a lot and a lot can only be done there, but it moves like molasses. You can spend years working on one thing and maybe eight years later it gets done," he said. "As governor, we can move fast, but we can only do what we are allowed to do."
Now, as Colorado’s 43rd governor, Polis signed into law the Digital Tokens Act last fall, which defined the taxonomy around utility tokens, clearing initial coin offerings from scrutiny by the state’s securities and exchange commission.
Speaking with CoinDesk, Polis said Colorado has established itself as a hub for digital innovation through its legislation. The Blockchain Council and Governor’s Office of Information Technology even rolled out a blockchain-based ID system in October.
Moving from federal-level politics back to the state level, Polis said his office remains available for providing information and opinions for federal regulators. The buck, however, stops at the federal level, he said.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Senate Agriculture's crypto market structure draft peppered with Democrat pitches
The latest draft of the major crypto legislation has begun to be targeted with amendments as the Senate Agriculture Committee approaches its hearing next week.
What to know:
- Proposed amendments to the Senate Agriculture Committee's crypto market structure bill have been posted, and the Democrats filing the pitches are seeking to push a number of the points they've sought over months of negotiation.
- Democrat amendments include proposals for banning senior government officials from profiting off of crypto interests and a demand for filling the Commodity Futures Trading Commission before new rules can be put in place.
- The committee's markup hearing for the bill is currently scheduled for next week, though a winter storm threatens the U.S. capital.
Top Stories
