Since Donald Trump became louder in support of Bitcoin Leading up to this year’s presidential campaign, I have been dealing with a wide range of emotions and concerns.
Outside of Bitcoin, as a left-wing voter and outspoken critic of Donald Trump, I am deeply concerned about such an egocentric, narcissistic character taking power in the oval office again, not to mention the damage this could to issues that I feel deep inside. what we care about in the US, including women’s right to choose, reproductive rights, immigration, global affairs and beyond.
I came to Bitcoin and started writing, running the Progressive Bitcoiner, and advocating for Bitcoin to those outside the right-wing/libertarian bubble because I had major concerns about Bitcoin being seen as “right-wing” or politically polarizing. It is open source code, digital peer-to-peer money, that does not belong to any particular ideology or political party. I believe in its importance to radically improve our world and the lives of millions and billions of people. Already from the left, campaigns such as Greenpeace USAElizabeth Warrens anti-crypto armyand go beyond Bitcoin being a haven for criminals and terrorists, climate-denying fossil fuel magnates, and only for the rich and Wall Street. Despite advances in data showing that Bitcoin is one of, if not the most, sustainable industries in the worldit’s a growing list of human rights use cases and more, engaging progressives and the left about Bitcoin (yes, Bitcoin specifically, not crypto) remains an uphill battle. What should we expect after years of Bitcoin’s loudest voices promoting various right-wing ideologies, encouraging books like the Bitcoin Standard, various right-wing lifestyle maximalist tropes including carnivore diets, traditional family values, skepticism about science and climate science, and more.
The Trump campaign, and Bitcoiners openly donating to, engaging with, and advocating for Trump, make my job a lot harder. Metaphorically speaking, we went from fishing (in terms of Bitcoin’s steady adoption) to throwing a grenade into the water, without even a moment’s pause as to how this might affect the bigger picture.
The reality is that after 2016, with the election of Donald Trump, and the doubling down of Hillary and the Democratic party calling his support a ‘basket of deplorables’ (yes, I’m quite critical of the left too!) our political polarization is increased. skyrocketed, leaving most feeling politically homeless (some surveys indicate between 70 million and 100 million Americans).
The left has been corrupted by purity culture. If your vision, means to an end, etc. are not approved by The Left Regime (or if you are not well versed in dozens of leftist philosophers and the latest theories), then you are out! Apart from Trump and the bitcoiners, it is also so difficult to get them to engage in bitcoin because it is not what their tribe uses, it is right-wing money (according to them).
The right has been overtaken by Trump and a party of worthless debauchery. Conservatives/Republicans used to be values driven by actual policies and ideas, which I could agree or disagree with. Now it’s just complete chaos, fueled and led by Trump, who has no political philosophy or value system, just ego.
Bitcoin should be a tool to cut through this noise. An instrument that any ideology can find useful and valuable in this case. Instead, I’m deeply concerned that the narrative will align very well with Trumpism in the coming years, and beyond. Ultimately, am I concerned about Bitcoin, its code, utility, use cases, and more? Not for this Trump/political reason, no, not necessarily (I do worry about regulatory capture via ETFs, centralization of mining, lack of privacy and better tools for peer-to-peer use of bitcoin, etc… but that’s a conversation for another time).
I just think it’s a bad move for Bitcoiners to put all their eggs in the Trump basket, or any political basket for that matter. There’s a serious reputational risk, a slowdown in adoption in the US for those (particularly on the left) who will see this as a “Trump thing” or “the right” and push this narrative, and the politicians who will respond by doubling down on the narratives as they continue to try to work against Bitcoin.
For Bitcoin’s social layer, I believe it is in the best interest to continue educating about Bitcoin, advocating for grassroots adoption at the individual/community level, and holding politicians accountable when they try to overstep (like Elizabeth Warren one backdoor ban on self-detention…no, we’re not going to abandon that, let alone say that’s blatantly unconstitutional), or cling desperately to the words of politicians on the campaign trail, no matter who they are, who are purely out for votes no matter what happen once they are in power (or what they can actually do, unlike the legislature and judiciary).
As for me, an independent voter, I care deeply about Bitcoin, its long-term success and seeing as many people as possible around the world using and benefiting from this revolutionary money and technology. Both for Bitcoin and for reasons beyond Bitcoin and my values I mentioned above, I cannot in good conscience support Donald Trump. You don’t have to vote for Donald Trump to support, learn about, or use Bitcoin, or contribute to the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Whether you agree or disagree with me, I hope that among a growing chorus of Trump supporters from the Bitcoin community, those on the outside looking in can see that we are not all on the same page, and that Bitcoin is for everyone, no matter what. of your political party or who you plan to vote for in November.
This is a guest post by Trey Walsh. The opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.