Today in crypto, Florida Republican Senator Joe Gruters proposes a portion of the state funds be invested in Bitcoin, the “Hawk Tuah” girl made her first media appearance after nearly two months of silence following the surge and collapse of the HAWK memecoin. Japanese authorities asked Apple and Google to remove unregistered crypto exchanges, including Bybit and KuCoin, from their app stores.

Florida Sen. Gruters proposes Bitcoin investment bill for state funds

Florida Republican Senator Joe Gruters has introduced a bill proposing the investment of part of the state’s funds in Bitcoin and other digital assets to counter rising inflation. It follows a string of other US states recently moving toward the same goal.

“The state should have access to tools such as Bitcoin to protect against inflation,” Gruters said in a Feb. 7 bill introduced to the Florida Senate.

“Inflation has eroded the purchasing power of assets held in state funds managed by the chief financial officer,” he said.

Gruters highlighted major asset management firms such as BlackRock, Fidelity, and Franklin Templeton already adopting Bitcoin and viewing it as a “hedge against inflation,” along with Bitcoin having “greatly risen in value” and becoming more widely accepted as an international medium of exchange as reasons Florida should consider investing state funds in the asset class.

Haliey Welch, aka ‘Hawk Tuah,’ speaks out after nearly two months

Haliey Welch, widely known as the “Hawk Tuah” girl, made her first media appearance after nearly two months of silence following the launch of the HAWK memecoin and the subsequent crash of the token’s price.

In an interview conducted with podcaster FaZe Banks, Welch claimed the project manager for the memecoin told her the token would have a long-term time horizon and would be

positive for the crypto space.

Welch said she initially did not want to launch the memecoin and was unfamiliar with the asset sector but did so because she was told half the money from the token would go to her charity. Welch said:

“It was brought to me in a positive way — it was going to be something good and long-term, but it didn’t go that route at all, so it was like a smack in the face.”

Welch’s attorney, Christian Barker, also said the development team and account managers misled Welch about the tokenomics of the project, with the developer still controlling 80% of the token’s supply.

Japan asks Apple and Google to remove unregistered crypto exchange apps

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) asked Apple and Google to suspend downloads of five unregistered cryptocurrency exchanges, reinforcing its stance on regulatory compliance in the country.

The FSA has sought to suspend the downloads of five cryptocurrency exchanges (CEXs), including Dubai-based Bybit Fintech, Singapore-based MEXC Global, LBank Exchange, Seychelles–based KuCoin and Singapore-based Bitget.

While the FSA’s request was made in the previous week, Apple removed the applications from its App Store on Feb. 6, preventing Japanese users from downloading them, Nikkei reported on Feb. 7.

Japan has taken a more cautious approach to cryptocurrency than other Asian markets.

While Hong Kong has already approved the first spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Japanese regulators remain wary of the volatility and risks associated with crypto ETFs.

However, the regulator’s move to block downloads to unregistered crypto exchanges is not necessarily a clampdown against retail cryptocurrency investing, according to industry experts.