South Carolina Blockchain releases 2026 tech policy review of all 170 lawmakers

South Carolina Blockchain Inc. has published Freedom Tech 2026, a first-of-its-kind review of the South Carolina General Assembly’s 170 members on digital assets, privacy, AI and infrastructure. The report ranks lawmakers on policy record and says it is meant to help voters and businesses track who is advancing technology policy and who is restricting it.

Why it matters: - The review is meant to show how South Carolina lawmakers are shaping rules that affect digital assets, privacy, artificial intelligence and infrastructure. - South Carolina Blockchain Inc. says those choices can affect household costs, business competitiveness, personal privacy and access to economic opportunity. - The project is designed to help South Carolinians evaluate how elected officials are using technology policy to expand freedom or impose restrictions.

What happened: - South Carolina Blockchain Inc. released Freedom Tech 2026, an inaugural review of all 170 members of the South Carolina General Assembly. - The review was published in SC Digital Ledger, Vol. I, No. 11, on Oct. 27, 2026. - The organization says the report examines documented legislative conduct across party lines. - The review is a dated snapshot frozen Oct. 24, 2026. - House Judiciary Chairman Weston Newton ranked first with 82.9 points. - Sen. Danny Verdin ranked second with 70.3 points. - Rep. Travis Moore ranked third with 65.4 points. - Sens. Sean Bennett and Tom Davis tied for fourth at 61.3 points.

The details: - The review grew out of Dennis Fassuliotis’s work as president of the South Carolina Emerging Technology Association, or SCETA. - Fassuliotis said the project was meant to look beyond digital-asset bills and examine technology policy more broadly. - The review gives up to 30 points for policy advancement. - It gives up to 20 points for origination and meaningful sponsorship. - It gives up to 15 points each for institutional leadership and voting. - It gives up to 10 points each for constructive improvement and breadth or engagement. - Technology Friction is tracked separately from the 100-point base score to capture supported restrictive effects. - Moore’s published score uses a 66.9 base score and a 1.5-point Technology Friction adjustment. - The methodology distinguishes sponsorship from leadership and avoids counting the same achievement more than once. - The review does not infer an individual vote from an aggregate tally. - It treats firsthand evidence differently from independently corroborated records. - A missing qualifying record is not treated as proof of opposition. - The review’s “Good Goal / Wrong Approach” test evaluates whether a policy addresses a legitimate harm with the least-restrictive effective remedy. - The assessment focuses on policy design and documented performance, not on sponsors’ motives. - The recognition is based on legislative policy records and is not a candidate endorsement. - The publication says later corrections and additions will be identified and dated. - South Carolina Blockchain Inc. is a South Carolina public benefit corporation founded in 2020. - The organization focuses on education and public policy involving blockchain, digital assets and emerging technologies. - The company publishes SC Digital Ledger to connect technology developments with economic opportunity, individual rights and accountable government. - The review is available at the Freedom Tech legislator lookup. - Readers can also access SC Digital Ledger.

Between the lines: - The ranking system rewards both policy wins and procedural influence, which can elevate lawmakers who shape outcomes even when they are not the most visible sponsors. - By separating “Technology Friction” from the base score, the review signals that some lawmakers can earn credit for constructive work while still being penalized for restrictive policy effects. - The methodology is built to frame the score as performance tracking rather than ideology tracking.

What's next: - South Carolina Blockchain Inc. says the October 24 review may be updated if later corrections or additions are identified. - The organization is using the report to push ongoing legislative scrutiny of technology policy in South Carolina. - Voters, advocates and businesses can use the published table to compare lawmakers on future tech-related debates.