In brief
- According to a Newsweek poll, one third of voters in swing states are in favor of using crypto as payment.
- In New York, several mayoral candidates have voiced support for crypto into their campaigns.
Approximately one third of voters living in swing states in the United States are in favor of cryptocurrencies as a form of payment in their state, according to a Newsweek poll.
The poll, which was conducted by Redfield and Wilton Strategies, found that between 28% and 37% of voters—from Arizona and both Texas and Wisconsin respectively—would vote “yes” to a ballot that would make cryptocurrency legal.
The poll surveyed over 9,700 eligible voters between August 20 to August 22 in California, and 20 to 24 in nine other states. Those include Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
“If a party wants to catch these receptive voters, it should act swiftly—not only to beat the other party to the punch, but also to preempt legislation that would prove difficult to reverse if enacted,” said Louisa Idel, head of insights at Redfield and Wilton.
Unpacking the poll’s results
Georgia appeared to be the most divided state, with 27% of respondents saying they would oppose a national cryptocurrency, while 27% also stated that they would oppose such a policy.
Arizona reported the most opposition to the policy, with 40% of voters against.
According to the survey’s results, one of the biggest obstacles to using cryptocurrency as payment is a lack of information about cryptocurrencies in general. Approximately six in 10 voters said they opposed the policy because they did not know enough about cryptocurrencies.
“Most voters also seem to have only heard or read about Bitcoin,” Newsweek added.
National cryptocurrencies
So far, only one country in the world has accepted any cryptocurrency as legal tender.
That is El Salvador, which officially recognized Bitcoin as legal tender earlier this month. While El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, has been praised by Bitcoin advocates, the policy has generated significant controversy.
Since President Bukele first announced the decision to embrace Bitcoin as legal tender, El Salvador has seen protest, after protest, after protest. Major international organizations like the IMF and the World Bank have voiced concern over the policy, and even citizens of El Salvador have accused the government of silencing, harassing, and intimidating critics.
Crypto in the U.S.
The United States hasn’t embraced crypto to the same extent as El Salvador’s government, but some key political figures have taken a pro-crypto stance.
One example is Francis Suarez, Mayor of Miami, who oversaw this year’s Bitcoin Conference in his own city.
Throughout this year, Mayor Suarez has pushed a cryptocurrency ticket—creating a cryptocurrency team of his own, claiming that Bitcoin is “too big to regulate,” and even putting his money where his mouth is by purchasing some Bitcoin (and Ethereum) in a personal capacity.
Mayor Suarez might want to make Miami the United State’s crypto capital, but he has some competition in New York.
“As New York City Mayor, I will make NYC the most cryptocurrency-friendly city in the nation. Property taxes, fines, and fees will be payable in crypto,” said Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Silwa earlier this month.
Democratic candidate Eric Adams—who won the New York Democratic primary earlier this year—also pledged to turn New York City into a “center of Bitcoins.”
Yet another New York Mayor hopeful, Andrew Yang, also pledged to make the city “a hub for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies” earlier this year.