Pro-Crypto Congress Candidates Push for Easier Crypto Donations

Pro-cryptocurrency hopefuls for Congress—from both sides of the aisle—are pushing for easier ways to receive cryptocurrency donations from their donors, per Business Insider. 

“There is a big demand for [crypto donations]. I would love to have a one-stop solution,” said Matthew Diemer, a Democratic congressional candidate who also leads the Decrypt Daily podcast. 

Political donations are often processed through platforms such as the Democrats’ ActBlue platform, and the Republicans’ WinRed platform. 

“As crypto becomes more of a norm, then all these platforms—WinRed, Anedot, ActBlue—will all make adjustments to make cryptocurrency available on their platforms, but the moment is not there yet,” reportedly said one senior Republican on the condition of anonymity. 

Back in 2017, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was asked if she accepted Bitcoin, and responded by tweeting “Not till ActBlue does!” 

https://twitter.com/AOC/status/941123830721937408?s=20 

She added that she was unaware of the laws regarding cryptocurrency donations. 

Crypto in politics today

While the big political donation platforms might not offer cryptocurrency solutions, some crypto advocates have already been in the business of accepting cryptocurrency donations. 

Representatives Tom Emmer (R-MN) and Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CAL) have both accepted cryptocurrency donations through their respective campaign committees. 

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What’s more, Aarika Rhodes, a Democratic congressional candidate in California, told Business Insider that the crypto community gave her a “really big boost” in donations. 

Austin Livingston, a spokesperson for Representative Ralph Norman (R-SC)’s campaign, reportedly told Business Insider “it probably won’t be too much longer before [Norman’s] donors do begin making the request for crypto.” 

But crypto is yet to catch on across the entire political landscape, with some of the biggest names in U.S. politics criticizing the industry for a multitude of problems ranging from a lack of consumer protection to the industry’s impact on the environment.