The City of Berkeley, California will be the first U.S. city to explore blockchain-based financing to tackle social issues such as affordable housing. Mayor Jesse Arreguin and Councilmember Ben Bartlett are collaborating with the UC Berkeley Blockchain Lab and San Francisco-based financial startup Neighborly for the Berkeley Blockchain Initiative ("BBI") to develop a tokenized municipal bond. According to Forbes, Berkeley had a similar idea twenty years ago with a local currency called "Berkeley Bucks." This time, Neighborly explains, "[t]he initiative will explore how to harness the power of blockchain and cryptocurrencies to democratize access to public finance and improve social outcomes."
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