4 Things Tech-Savvy People Should Know Before Moving to Washington in 2024

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There’s a myth out there that, in a digital world, it doesn’t matter where you live as long as you have a connection to the internet. Well, this is simply not true, and for some very obvious reasons, as well.

First of all, some activities that you practice in your everyday life may be unregulated or outright prohibited at the target location. The location can also be more or less friendly toward your favorite form of transportation (regardless of whether it’s a bicycle or an electric vehicle). Not to mention that, regardless of the fact that you’re not using a local park, the cost of living in an area with nicer parks will be substantially higher.

The more tech-savvy you are, the more hidden requirements for a location you have.

With all of that in mind, here’s what tech-savvy people should know before moving to Washington in 2024.

1) Cryptocurrency has been regulated since 2017

Since State Bill 5031, cryptocurrency exchanges have been money transmitter businesses, which means that they just have to get a corresponding license and be able to operate in Washington. Sure, obtaining these licenses is not easy, but the majority of big exchanges can do it with no major complications.

This enables Washington residents to buy cryptocurrencies in a simple and regulated manner. Moreover, since these regulations are usually designed to provide consumer protection, they can rest assured that all of the exchanges in question have undergone a thorough audit and vetting process.

With regulated exchanges available to all Washington citizens, all you need to do is pick the right cryptocurrency to buy. With numerous options online, making a purchase shouldn’t be hard. Still, state protection only goes so far, and it’s the responsibility of each crypto buyer to do their own research and rely on their own decision-making process.

Moreover, aside from some requirements that they have to pass during the audit, there are no special features or requirements that these exchanges need to have while operating in Washington. This means that the overall buying experience won’t deviate much on the account of location.

Over the past few years, the state has expanded the law, which has caused a lot of confusion. These expansions were only meant to keep up with blockchain developments, not to recognize tokens like Bitcoin as legal tender.

2) Online gambling is not legal in Washington

At the moment, online gambling is illegal in Washington state. Seeing as how this decision is left in the hands of state regulators, residents of Washington are not able to legally partake in this activity.

Things are a bit trickier with the state of cryptocurrency casinos, mostly due to the fact that it’s much harder to establish where the bet took place. This is a gray zone that many online bettors use in order to keep playing luck-based games. You see, most of the time, it’s just that the site in question cannot be hosted within the state/country.

One of the ways it would be legal to bet in Washington is by using the sports betting app owned by a casino on a tribal land while you are in the casino. While this is incredibly restrictive, this form of activity would be completely legal, and you wouldn’t have to worry about breaching any laws or regulations.

Workplace betting has been legal since 1973; however, it’s heavily regulated, and there are so many laws worth taking into consideration here.

First, you’re allowed to have one sports pool board for a specific event, split into 100 squares with a buy-in of $1 per square. The conditions are incredibly specific, and the pool must be closed prior to the athletic event.

Other than this, there’s also a state lottery that you can follow via an app, as well as horse racing, which is legal almost everywhere in the US and now takes place via apps.

3) It’s one of the worst states to own an electric car in

A lot of tech-savvy people love buying electric cars. Not only are electric cars incredibly cost-effective in the long run, but they’re also a lot greener.

Most importantly, over the past years, there’s been a massive advancement in the field of battery intelligence software and battery hardware, which has done wonders to alleviate some range anxiety among potential drivers.

Alas, even with all of this exciting news that potential EV drivers have to look forward to, Washington ranks last on the list of US states by how electric-vehicle-friendly they are.

There are many factors that go into this equation, ranging from the cost of electricity, all the way to the ratio of a square mile per one charging port. You see, charging is a much bigger challenge than filling up the tank. It takes hours instead of seconds, which is why the ratio of registered electric vehicles per charging port matters, as well.

The average tax credit and annual savings of potential drivers and current drivers with interest in switching to electric vehicles matter, as well.

When all of these factors are combined, Washington sadly comes out at the bottom of the list.

Does this mean that buying an electric vehicle in Washington is always a bad idea? Of course not! There are still many benefits to this idea; it’s just that you’ll have to struggle far beyond what your peers in other states would.

4) More and more people in Washington work remotely

When it comes to digital nomads considering making the state of Washington their temporary or permanent home, the opportunities are actually quite numerous.

First of all, there’s an increasing number of remote workers in Washington, which means that amenities like cooperative spaces are getting easier and easier to find. This is for people who don’t want to limit themselves to the local job market but still feel the need to leave home and go to the office every day.

On average, the internet speed in the Washington area is 100Mbps or faster for roughly 98% of people, which is fast enough for most forms of remote work. Sure, streamers and professional gamers (playing in online tournaments) may want to go above this; however, basic internet packages in more areas will have more than what an average person needs.

When compared to the other states in the US, Washington ranks 36th when it comes to internet speed. While this may not sound impressive, you have to keep in mind that being near the middle in a first-world country is something that the majority of remote workers from countries in development could only dream of.

As for working in public places, it’s just like anywhere else in the world. You go to the place, ask for a WiFi password and bring your laptop.

One downside to moving to Washington when working remotely is the fact that the cost of living is 17% higher than the national average, while housing is 29% higher. This means that, unless you really want to move here (for a specific reason), there are other, cheaper regions where a remote worker could settle.

Doing research prior to moving is essential for the outcome of your migration

In the past, it was easy to see how people could be lured by promises of milk and honey, only to realize that things are not so after they move. Today, you have all the resources to thoroughly research the area before making such major life-altering decision. You can check the costs, internet speeds, density of charging stations, and regulations before actually moving. This way, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

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