3 December 2024
Bitcoin is its own network state, to borrow a term from Balaji Srinivasan. That is, while Bitcoin proponents aren’t bound to one geographical region (quite the opposite, actually) they have collective power and can enact change.
We just saw some version of this power exercised in the U.S. political sphere, as the Bitcoin (and crypto) lobby fiercely supported pro-Bitcoin candidates in the recent U.S. election cycle. Because this lobby was so strong, many pro-Bitcoin candidates were elected or re-elected into positions of power.
One could argue that Trump won the election because he embraced Bitcoin, while Harris could only seem to muster up the ability to make lukewarm, offbeat statements about being pro-crypto (statements that some at Bitcoin Magazine found inauthentic and even borderline offensive).
Now, there’s another opportunity for the Bitcoin community to rally behind a candidate. For the first time in the history, a country has a presidential nominee who’s running on the notion of putting her country on a bitcoin standard. That country is Suriname and that candidate is Maya Parbhoe.
Parbhoe understands the transformative power of bitcoin and believes that making it legal tender can help get Suriname’s 600,000 citizens out of “survival mode,” as she puts it.
So, my question to you as a Bitcoin enthusiast is this: Do you want to watch as Parbhoe attempts to make history or do you want to play a role in helping her make it?
In other words, are you going to contribute to her campaign — as Bitcoin allows you to do from anywhere in the world permissionlessly — or are you going to be a spectator?
🚨 Corruption has no place in our future!
We can’t keep trusting a system that deceives us.
It’s time to act!
Verifying every action is the key to a Suriname free of corruption.
Your support is crucial. https://t.co/rBQxhqq7zm #maya2025 #bitcoin pic.twitter.com/hkXZislsAl
— Maya Parbhoe (@MayaPar25) November 23, 2024
(You can track how donations are spent here.)
You can also reach out to Parbhoe’s campaign via [email protected] to offer support in other ways if you feel so inclined.
The election takes place in May 2025, and Parbhoe and her team are currently gearing up for campaign season (including obtaining the funds to campaign). It’s hard to say just yet how much of a shot she has at winning, but she’ll likely have less of one without your support.
So, if you’d like to see the Bitcoin network state include another nation state, you have the opportunity here to play a part in potentially making that happen.
(Author’s note: Please keep in mind that this piece is not necessarily an endorsement of Parbhoe but a call to action for those who support her.)
This article is a Take. Opinions expressed are entirely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.