Pro-Crypto Robert Kennedy Jr will Accept Campaign Donations in Bitcoin
- The Democrat has expressed his support for Bitcoin in several tweets.
- Robert revealed that his campaign will accept donations through the Lightning Network.
Bitcoin supporter and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed that his campaign will accept donations in Bitcoin. Robert shared this news while speaking at the Bitcoin 2023 conference. The event also marked his first public appearance as a presidential candidate.
The 69-year-old politician told the audience that he was drawn to Bitcoin after learning about how it was used to bypass financial constraints during the Canadian trucker protest in 2022. He described the cryptocurrency as a “symbol of democracy and freedom.”
Robert recalled the event, saying,
None of these lawful and peaceful protestors had violated any law… But suddenly, they found that they could not access their money, their bank accounts to pay their mortgages or feed their families. When I witnessed this … devastating use of government repression, I realized for the first time how free money is as important as free expression.
Robert urged the crypto community to throw their weight behind him as he runs for office in 2024. The environmental lawyer warned that technology was enabling totalitarian rule but promised to protect the interests of the crypto industry if elected.
The politician assured his audience that “as president, I will make sure that your right to hold and use Bitcoin is inviolable. I am an ardent defender and lifelong defender of civil liberties, and Bitcoin is both an exercise and a guarantee of those freedoms.”
Robert Jr., who is running against Joe Biden, has been tweeting about his libertarian opinions on cryptocurrency. Robert Jr., in a recent post, claimed that the US is hindering the crypto industry and pushing “innovation elsewhere.”
“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,” Robert said during the event.
Robert expressed his displeasure at some of the policies introduced by the Biden administration, which he believes stifle innovation. Robert Jr, who is the son of U.S. attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, gave the audience an insight into some of his Bitcoin-friendly policies if elected.
He explained,
First, I will defend the right to self-custody of bitcoin and other digital assets. Second, I will uphold the right to run a node at home… Third, I will defend use-neutral, industry-neutral regulation of energy… Fourth, I will make sure that the United States remains the global hub of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies… I will reverse the government’s growing hostility toward this industry.
Robert’s presence at the Bitcoin event was not only to appeal to new voters but was also aimed at raising millions of dollars in donations. Crypto companies and their CEOs showed incredible generosity during last year’s midterm elections. Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried remarkably donated around $40 million to support both Republican and Democratic candidates.
Robert revealed that he is not invested in Bitcoin personally, but his campaign will accept donations through the Lightning Network.
Lawrence has covered some exciting stories in his career as a journalist, he finds blockchain-related stories very intriguing. He believes Web3 will change the world and wants everyone to be a part of it.
