The Democratic U.S. Presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced accepting campaign donations in Bitcoin at Bitcoin2023 Conference. This statement made his political campaign the first in the history of the United States to accept BTC donations. He also praised cryptocurrencies as a “symbol of democracy and freedom.”
Bitcoin Donations Accepted by RFK Jr.’s Presidential Campaign
Robert F. Kenedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) is the nephew of one of the youngest and 35th residents of the White House, John F. Kennedy is among the prominent proponents of Bitcoin and was speaking at the annual gathering of BTC fanatics. Almost every seat was taken at the Nakamoto Stage.
By attending Bitcoin2023 Conference in Miami, he is believed to be targeting crypto community voters and a potential donor bank worth millions of dollars. He has been vocal about his views on cryptocurrency and has shared this on Twitter.
In a post on May 3, 2023, he compared crypto technologies with a significant engine for innovation. Also, arguing that the current war waged on crypto entities by the U.S. authorities is pushing these innovations elsewhere.
In the post, he also pointed out the proposed 30% excise tax on cryptocurrency miners by current White House resident Joe Biden. He claimed that proper monitoring of such miners would require surveillance apparatus installed in their machines, an act that would set a bad precedent.
Speaking at the conference, he said that it’s time that the crypto community shows the power, durability, and flexibility of Bitcoin to the world. Arguing that everyone presents shall be aware of the link between BTC, democracy, and freedom. Calling to the passion of crypto enthusiasts, he said that this represents the deep need for liberty and democracy that promises the virtues.
RFK Jr. feels that the U.S. economy can be more robust if the diversity of crypto ecosystems is instilled. Saying, “Just as a biodiverse ecosystem is a resilient ecosystem, so too will our economy be more resilient if it has a diverse ecology of currencies, not just a single, centrally controlled one. We are seeing today how fragile our over-centralized system is.”
He argued that the freedom of transaction is equally essential to freedom of expression. Speaking of the incident that deviated his attention toward cryptocurrency, he referred to the reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the pandemic, when Canadian truckers were protesting against COVID-19 restrictions, the government froze their bank accounts to lull the protest. This incident garnered his interest in Bitcoin. He has also been an open critic of the vaccine mandate and said that supporting Bitcoin is both an “exercise and a guarantee” of civil liberties.
However, this is not crypto’s first time entering United States politics.
During 2022’s mid-term elections, former crypto white knight and ex-CEO of now bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, Sam Bankman Fried, donated $40 Million. Coinbase has also been alleged of lobbying for crypto legislation regulating the crypto realm in the United States.
Nancy J. Allen is a crypto enthusiast and believes that cryptocurrencies inspire people to be their own banks and step aside from traditional monetary exchange systems. She is also intrigued by blockchain technology and its functioning.
Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2023/05/20/bitcoin-donations-accepted-in-presidential-campaign-rfk-jr/