US presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has announced that he accepts bitcoin (BTC) donations for the upcoming 2024 presidential election. In doing so, the presidential candidate follows in the footsteps of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long been a supporter of bitcoin is. Robert announced last weekend as the first presidential candidate to accept bitcoin donations.
Bitcoin donors receive free NFT
Vivek made the news big on Saturday at the Bitcoin 2023 event in Miami, Florida. He did this by projecting a QR code onto a screen in front of the audience. BitPay allows you to deposit BTC up to a maximum value of $6,600. Donors do get something in return: a non fungible token (NFT). The announcement of the donation was accompanied by the following controversial statement:
“Let’s make the 2024 election a referendum on fiat currency.”
Just announced we’re officially accepting #Bitcoin donations.
Give $1.
Let’s make the 2024 election a referendum on fiat currency. https://t.co/KrHJdomtCh pic.twitter.com/OkVmoBmTFz— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 20, 2023
A shift in American politics?
So there are now two presidential candidates who are publicly positioning themselves as pro-BTC. It stands in stark contrast to US politics that have often been dubious towards the adoption of BTC and crypto in general. The sentiment doesn’t seem to have spilled into mainstream politics yet as lawmakers in the Kansas House of Representatives introduced a bill that sets a $100 cap on political crypto donations. The bill further stipulates that if the donation falls below this threshold, the recipient must immediately convert the cryptocurrency to US dollars.
Robert F Kennedy Jr. was therefore also present during the Bitcoin event. The nephew of former President John F. Kennedy said the following about bitcoin, freedom and democracy on May 19:
“Today we are showing the world the strength, durability and flexibility of bitcoin. (…) Almost everyone in this room is aware of the connection between bitcoin and democracy and freedom. (…) They are passionate about the deep representation of a deep need we have for freedom and democracy and the promise this innovation has to ensure those virtues.”