Lawmakers around the world have been increasingly interested in Bitcoin. And if anyone needed proof of that, here it is – a Belgian member of parliament, Christophe De Beukelaer has taken his salary in Bitcoin, which makes him the first politician in Europe to do so. The MP said he is going to convert his entire monthly salary of EUR 5,500 as a member of the parliament to Bitcoin via the Bit4You crypto trading platform.
Beukelaer, who belongs to the Humanist Democratic Centre (CDH) party in Belgium also expressed hope his move will inspire his fellow parliamentarians to follow suit and give some much-needed impetus to cryptocurrencies in the country. The MP said that his fellow politicians should take note of the manner how politicians in the US are working hard to make their native state or region a Bitcoin hub.
Beukelaer cited the example of New York City Mayor Eric Adams who has been taking his salary in Bitcoins for three months with the sole intention of making New York a Bitcoin hub. Now, Belgium or Brussels in particular too can be Bitcoin hubs if others join in and start using the cryptocurrency for their daily transactions.
Among other politicians who have taken to accepting their salary in Bitcoins includes Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez who has been extremely vocal with his support for cryptocurrencies. Suarez too is keen to see Miami emerge as a Bitcoin hub in the future and apart from accepting his own salary in Bitcoins, he is keen to see other employees in the region are able to do so as well. He is also working to make the necessary changes in policies to ensure that becomes a reality.
Apart from politicians, a few well-known sports personalities too have taken to accepting their salaries in Bitcoin. For instance, seven NFL stars have opted to receive their salaries in Bitcoin. Similarly, NBA stars of the likes of Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala have stated they too will have no qualms in accepting their salaries in cryptocurrencies in the future.
All of this should be a clear sign of Bitcoin being among the most prominent of cryptocurrencies. Also, prominent personalities doing their transactions in Bitcoin should allay the fears of others as well about the safety and security of cryptocurrencies.
