In his February âState of the Stateâ speech, Gov. Steve Sisolak boldly promoted an âInnovation Zonesâ proposal advanced by cryptocurrency Blockchains LLC founder and CEO, Jeffrey Berns. It would have allowed companies like Blockchains to form local governments on land they own by granting them power over everything â from schools to law enforcement â and to build a âsmart cityâ run on cryptocurrency. Sisolak made âInnovation Zonesâ central to diversifying Nevadaâs economy. Sisolak boasted they would transform Nevada into âthe epicenter of this emerging industry and create the high-paying jobs and revenue that go with it.â By April 26 Sisolakâs âBig Ideaâ was discredited and junked, sent to 18 months of âinterim studyâ by the Legislature in a face-saving maneuver. The concept had been roundly mocked, including in the national media and trashed on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.