Bradley Counsel Carol Van Cleef Quoted in CoinDesk on West Virginia Bill That Nearly Banned Cryptocurrency

Bradley attorney Carol Van Cleef was quoted in CoinDesk on a West Virginia criminal code overhaul bill that was set to ban cryptocurrencies. The state legislature had been working on the bill for nearly a year to strengthen drug sentencing, expand homicide provisions, modernize anti-hacking statutes and establish a tiered system for misdemeanors and felonies. As originally written, the bill seemed to ban people from issuing or transacting in cryptocurrencies not sanctioned by West Virginia.

Van Cleef deemed the proposal “disturbing” and said it would render authorized stablecoins “as a nonfactor in payments.” 

“When I see something like this – my first question is where did it come from, who is behind it and why,” she said.

Before being proposed to the West Virginia House of Delegates, the law was amended to excise cryptocurrency from the bill entirely. The law now awaits confirmation from the Senate.

The original article, "The Accidental Crypto Lobbyist," appeared in CoinDesk on April 7, 2021.