Florida’s Gubernatorial Candidate Accepts Cryptocurrency Donations

Some notable politicians in the United States, including Jared Polis, Dan Elder, and Rand Paul, have declared their support for cryptocurrencies in recent years. However, more politicians are now accepting cryptocurrency donations for their campaigns

Nikki Fried’s Campaign Group Accepts Crypto Donations

Florida Consumers First, a political committee supporting Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried‘s bid to become Florida’s governor, is now accepting crypto donations. The committee said it is the first in the state to accept cryptocurrency donations for an election.

Florida Consumers First Treasurer Ben Kuehne said people who believe in Fried’s message should donate through cryptocurrencies via their website. Fried said the adoption of cryptocurrencies is to empower people to make their decisions.

She said, “To show you how serious I am, my political committee, Florida Consumers First, is now accepting cryptocurrency because I trust you to make your own decisions. And I want you to be part of this movement to get power back to the people and save our democracy.”

Fried is up against United States Rep. Charlie Crist and state Sen. Annette Taddeo in the upcoming Democratic Primary. The commissioner’s campaign team said the adoption of cryptocurrencies is to give grassroots donors and others who feel abandoned by the corrupt political finance system a chance to participate in their mission.

It remains unclear if Fried rolls out favorable cryptocurrency regulations if she is voted as the Governor of Florida.

Politicians Have Been Accepting Cryptocurrency Donations for Years

Although cryptocurrency donations are not popular within the political space, some politicians started accepting crypto donations a few years ago. In 2015, Dan Elder, who ran for US House in the state of Missouri, became the first Congressional candidate in the country to fund his campaign solely in BTC.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul also accepted Bitcoin donations when he ran for president in 2016 under the Republican Party.

In 2020’s election, Democratic presidential hopefuls Andrew Yang and California US Rep. Eric Swalwell accepted Bitcoin donations before they dropped out of the race.

El Salvador made Bitcoin a legal tender last year, and President Bukele is bullish about the cryptocurrency’s outlook in 2022. The cryptocurrency market is gaining wider and faster adoption, and it would only be a matter of time before more politicians accept crypto donations from their supporters.