On a cool fall evening in Philadelphia, PA, more than just crypto bros came out to The City of Brotherly Love to show their support for Bitcoin and crypto at the fifth stop on the America loves crypto tour. A diverse crowd of about 200, evenly split between men and women, filled Vinyl, a stylish venue in the heart of the city where the event was held. The size and enthusiasm of the crowd on this tour has grown significantly as it has progressed, lending some credence to the idea that the crypto voting bloc could play a role in swaying key races in the US election in November.
Speakers on the tour included former U.S. Senator and Coinbase Global Advisory Board Member Pat Toomey (R); former Congressman Patrick Murphy (D); Kara Calvert, Coinbase’s Head of U.S. Policy; Dominic Folino, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Blockchain Coalition; David Johnson, General Counsel and Strategic Advisor at The Giving Block; Cody Eddings, Co-Founder and CEO of Fast refund; and Sam Weinrott, co-founder of PizzaDAOElectronic pop artist Lauv was the main act of the event.
The theme of the event was that Pennsylvanians, of whom 1.4 million are crypto owners, have a big role to play in moving the US in a more pro-crypto direction. Pennsylvania is one of the seven swing states which will likely determine the outcome of the US presidential election in November, and it is the one with the most electoral votes: 19. Since the number of residents of that state who own crypto is 18 times higher than voice difference between President Biden and former President Trump in the 2020 presidential election, it is imperative that pro-Bitcoin and pro-crypto Pennsylvanians get out and vote, as speakers at this event made clear.
Former Politicians Urge Pro-Crypto Pennsylvanians to Vote
As one of the event’s first speakers, Toomey, a longtime crypto advocate, set the tone for the evening by calling on voters to vote out anti-crypto politicians.
“My former colleagues failed to get legislation passed (and) an over-extended Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) casts a dark shadow over all crypto development,” Toomey began from the stage.
“The growth of this entire industry should be in the United States of America. We have a head start. We have the great entrepreneurship. We have the infrastructure. But increasingly, some of the most talented people in our country are leaving because there are jurisdictions abroad that have provided legal clarity on this,” he added.
“There are people in Congress on both sides of the aisle who are very supportive of crypto really being able to develop and flourish. And there are others who are very hostile to it. My suggestion: Some of the enemies have to lose an election.”
Murphy brought a similar energy as he emphasized the importance of Bitcoin and crypto, as well as the role of Pennsylvanians as voters in protecting them.
“The whole point of crypto is that we don’t have to rely on a government or a central bank,” said Murphy, who stressed that we can use the technology to control our own destiny.
He then supported Toomey’s call for action to vote out anti-crypto politicians.
“He was absolutely right when he said there are people who are not with us, and we need to hold them accountable,” Murphy said.
To achieve this, Murphy stressed that Pennsylvania voters play an important role in this election.
“There are really only six states that are going to control this election, (and) Pennsylvania (is one with) 19 electoral votes,” Murphy said. “So, we have an incredibly important vote, but only if we use it.”
Founders call for clear crypto rules
Following Toomey and Murphy’s talks, a panel of founders featured Johnson, Folino, Eddings, and Weinrott.
Just like what was discussed on a panel at the first stop on the tourthe attending founders asked the US regulators for little more than clear rules for crypto.
“It’s incredibly difficult to comply with the rules in the US right now when it comes to cryptocurrencies because as much as you want to comply with the rules, it’s not always clear what the rules are,” Johnson said.
“Too many people in Washington don’t understand the technology, don’t want to understand it or, unfortunately, are hostile to it. The reality is that innovators are going to innovate, whether that’s here or somewhere else,” he added.
“We know crypto is the future of payments, and the reason we’re supporting this here is because we want this to happen in the US, not somewhere else.”
Folino joined the conversation and shared his thoughts on the obstacles that are hindering the crypto industry from flourishing in the US.
“Politicians, regulation, and one senator whose name we all know, I think are a big reason why we’re not moving forward,” Folino said, presumably referring to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, head of the anti crypto army“Everyone should vote; everyone should continue to educate everyone they can.”
Folino is no stranger to educating others, including policymakers in Pennsylvania, about Bitcoin and crypto. Through his work with the Pennsylvania Blockchain Coalition, he regularly speaks to state-level politicians.
“People definitely want to understand it,” Folino told Bitcoin Magazine of the elected officials and bureaucrats he trains in Pennsylvania.
“We have a lot more open-minded members in the PA State House. And I think they’ll get it in the Senate as well,” he added, before sharing that crypto will be a crucial topic in the upcoming PA elections both this election cycle and even more so in the future.
An advanced voter base
Calvert echoed Folino’s sentiment that crypto would become a bigger voting issue as time goes on. She’s also been pleasantly surprised by not only how many people have stepped up to make crypto an issue this election cycle, but also by how sharp those who have stepped up to make it an issue and come out to America Loves Crypto tour events have been.
“It’s a very sophisticated audience,” Calvert said of the tour participants. “I expected more people who just came for the artists, and what I’ve found is that these are people who really, really care about crypto.”
Calvert also noted that attendees are not only well-educated in crypto, but are also active voters.
“In Detroit I asked the question, ‘How many people know where their polling place is?’” Calvert said, before mimicking the response of most of the crowd by raising her own hand.
“I was blown away. So, it’s not just their sophistication as crypto owners, (but) their sophistication as voters. In Milwaukeesame. And here, same. I’m amazed at how sophisticated they are,” she added.
Calvert believes the Bitcoin and crypto industry will find a place in the US, based in part on what she saw on the tour.
“America is going to win,” Calvert said.
“You can’t stop innovation. You can make it much harder. You can create barriers. But at the end of the day, I think innovation wins,” she added, before noting that the new, powerful crypto voting bloc needs to get out to the polls in November to speed up this process — especially in a state like Pennsylvania.
The final date of the America Loves Crypto tour is scheduled for Wednesday, September 18 at The Black Cat in Washington, DC and will feature a performance by The ChainsmokersYou can register for the event here.