The governor of California has signed Ben McCain as the "opposite" to Trump.

What's this about?

On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 2409 to mandate that state officials cannot issue coins or cryptocurrencies created to represent a celebrity, Internet hoax, or viral movement without a clear specific use case.

The policy was discussed in the context of President Donald Trump's allegedly multi-million dollar earnings from bitcoin, and a movement by $TRUMP memecoin raised questions about its use of public office for personal gain.

Why is this law important?

For the general public, coins associated with a politician or public figure's name are often driven by popularity and trends rather than technology supporting actual use. One risk is that price may fluctuate based on news stories, online social media posts, or individual market sentiment rather than changes in systems or services that the token claims to endorse.

If a government official can sell out people with their own names or identities, the market may see this as turning political power into an instrument of profit and it could undermine public trust in government agencies.

Newsom also signed the bill along with 10 other bills covering corruption and consumer protection, others setting out rules on compensation for victims of crypto fraud, and creating a legal process to separate crypto from transnational criminal networks.

How does Newsom's office connect this bill to Trump?

Newsom's office labeled the statement "THE OPPOSITE OF TRUMP" and accused the Trump administration of corruption and self-interest, including via a viral bitcoin like $TRUMP.

In a statement, Newsom said that while the "scammer" Donald Trump continues to prey on American families, California is struggling to make its economy work for the people and not the powers-that-be, and officials should not abuse their positions for profit.

Trump's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CoinDesk.

It affects users in Thailand and Myanmar.

This law is a ban on California state officials issuing coins, not a general crypto trading ban and it's not a U.S. national law that applies to all levels of government or any platform around the world, so its effect on users in Thailand or Myanmar would be more regulatory than mandatory cross-border orders.

In Thailand, the news did not directly target platforms licensed under the SEC (Thailand) such as Bitkub and prices that could be displayed as THB or USD, but reflected a trend where government agencies in many areas were starting to pay attention to the risk of public figures using their own image as an incentive for buyers to enter the market.

For users in Myanmar who may have limited access to channels and information, a project that has bitcoin associated with a celebrity or viral name is an asset class that the market often values based on trend and reputation. That's why followers must distinguish between generic Bitcoin and projects where issuers are authoritative or public.

Remaining question: is the existing Toei like $TRUMP networked?

What's unclear is whether this law covers already issued coins, such as $TRUMP, which are pre-existing tokens that were directly referenced in the news.

Although the law focuses on issuing tokens by California state authorities, crypto market watchers have yet to fully interpret how possession of an existing token falls within California's prohibition or enforcement.