Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced last Tuesday that he would be open to receiving donations in bitcoin, ether, dogecoin, solana and other cryptocurrencies. The move makes him the first major party candidate to accept these digital forms of payment. During a gala at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month, the former president had already expressed his interest in cryptocurrencies, marking the start of their integration into the 2024 campaign.
A cryptocurrency is a digital currency designed to serve as a medium of exchange via a decentralized computer network, not dependent on any central authority such as a government or bank for its regulation or maintenance.
Cryptocurrency donations will now be accepted through Coinbase Commerce. According to a statement, "MAGA [Make America Great Again] supporters, who now have this new payment option, will be a digital strike force to lead the campaign to victory on November 5."
Mr. Trump's recent stance on cryptocurrencies is seen as a response to Democrats, traditionally wary of digital currencies. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), in particular, campaigned against cryptocurrencies. However, this year, even some Democrats are showing support for cryptocurrencies, distancing themselves from Ms. Warren's position.
Cryptocurrencies have become a political issue in this election year, with candidate Trump repeatedly expressing his support for them during his campaign. Nevertheless, he has not yet clarified how he intends to foster the growth of cryptocurrencies and blockchain through policies.
This position marks a radical change. A few years ago, Trump called Bitcoin a “fraud against the US dollar” and warned about “central bank digital currencies” which he considered “very dangerous”. In recent years he has called them a "coming catastrophe" and said he doesn't like them. But today, he says he is “satisfied” with cryptocurrencies.
Source : Donald Trump
And you ? What do you think ?
Do you believe the use of cryptocurrencies in election campaigns is appropriate or timely?
