Tech:NYC Digest: December 16

December 16, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

Friday, December 16, 2022

Happy Friday! We’re back with another “Friday Five” roundup of our top stories in New York tech.

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NYC Wants to Cut Average Commute Times by 30 Minutes as Part of Revival Plan (Bloomberg)

That’s just one of the 40 proposals in a new blueprint jointly released by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams this week. Dubbed the “New New York Action Plan,” it builds on pandemic recovery efforts, but also casts a vision for the city’s longer-term economic success. Our own founder Julie Samuels was one of the 59 civic and business leaders who worked on the plan, and we look forward to working with other industry leaders to bring them to action.

Etsy CEO: Caregiver support helps the economy (Axios)

Sellers on Etsy (a Tech:NYC member!) are in 99% of congressional districts, and they say caregiving is a top reason they struggle to grow their businesses. So CEO Josh Silverman took their message to Capitol Hill, advocating for federal protection for caregivers as both good policy and good for the economy.

Why the tech industry is skeptical of crypto mining restrictions (Capitol Pressroom)

We took to the airwaves this week to break down the latest cryptocurrency regulations in New York. The state has already been described as the “hardest state for crypto” startups to operate in, but the ones who do are committed to keeping those jobs and economic impact here. In the new year, as always, we’ll be working closely with state officials to build on solutions that advance New York’s environmental and economic goals for this growing industry.

My Big, Surprisingly Fun Night at a Manhattan Bitcoin Bar (Eater NY)

Pubkey, the self-described “bitcoin bar,” wants to cast a vision that brings everyday New Yorkers together. One way it achieves that: fried mozzarella triangles and at least seven regional varieties of hot dogs. We’re in.

The Hardest-Working Santa in Northeastern Queens (Curbed)

We never pass up an opportunity to share a hyperlocal story that could only come from New York. A civil litigator has been moonlighting as a Kris Kingle-for-hire for twenty years, and oh, the stories he has to tell…

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