Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) will be the first presidential candidate in United States history to accept campaign donations with Bitcoin, making his first appearance as a presidential candidate at the crypto conference. He praised the cryptocurrency as a “symbol of democracy and freedom” during the event.
“Today we show the world the power and the durability and the flexibility of Bitcoin. […] Almost everyone in this room is aware of the link between Bitcoin and democracy and freedom. […] They’re passionate because of the deep representation of a deep need that we have for liberty and democracy, and the promise that this innovation has to guarantee those virtues.”
The candidate — who is challenging Joe Biden — has been sharing his libertarian views about cryptocurrencies on Twitter. In a post on May 3, RFK stated that “crypto technologies are a major innovation engine,” adding that the United States is hobbling the industry and driving “innovation elsewhere.”
By attending the Bitcoin event RFK is not only targeting voters, but also a potential source of millions of dollars in donations. During last year’s midterm elections, Sam Bankman Fried, former CEO of now-bankrupted crypto exchange FTX, donated $40 million in support of candidates. Crypto exchange Coinbase has also been actively lobbying for legislation regulating the crypto space in the country.
RFK’s increased commitment to cryptocurrencies coincides with a tight regulatory environment in the United States spreading uncertainty among players and harming an already battered industry.
The candidate believes the United States economy could be more resilient if it has a diverse ecosystem of currencies:
“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.”
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