As cryptocurrency continues its integration into mainstream finance, a troubling trend has emerged: the growing politicization of crypto and bitcoin, particularly by far-right political movements. What began as a technological revolution designed to democratize finance and promote individual sovereignty is increasingly being co-opted as a political tool to advance partisan agendas.
The Far-Right's Crypto Playbook In both America and Europe, far-right politicians are rapidly positioning themselves as champions of cryptocurrency, making bold headlines with promises of national Bitcoin reserves and state-sponsored mining operations. While some of those propositions might be strategically sound, these politicians frame crypto as a nationalist bulwark against "globalist" finance—a framing that runs counter to the borderless, decentralized vision that inspired blockchain's creation.
In the United States, President Donald Trump—once critical of cryptocurrency—has executed a dramatic reversal. After receiving significant crypto funding for his campaign, Trump appeared at the recent Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville where he vowed to make America "the crypto capital of the planet" and "the Bitcoin superpower of the world." Three days before his inauguration as President of the United States, Trump launched his memecoin $TRUMP, which reached a staggering valuation of $13 billion before rapidly losing over 80% of its value—enriching Trump family enterprises in the process.
In France, as the 2027 presidential election approaches, parties led by figures like Marine Le Pen, Sarah Knafo and François Asselineau are adopting what could be called the "Trump cryptocurrency playbook." They're making strategic moves to capture the growing demographic of crypto enthusiasts by positioning themselves as the technology's political champions. Their bold statements are successfully making global headlines and gaining fans amidst crypto-enthusiasts. This should alarm us all, and it can not and should not be ignored.
>> Marine Le Pen proposes mining Bitcoin with surplus nuclear power plants
A Growing Voter Base The political stakes are high because the population of crypto holders continues to expand across major economies. For example, in the US 28% of American adults, or around 65 million people, own cryptocurrencies in 2025. In France, nearly one in five adults (18%, representing 12 million potential voters) now own cryptocurrency, with young people leading adoption—57% of crypto investors are between 18-34 years old. By 2027, most French voters under 40 will likely have cryptocurrency exposure.
Similar trends are visible across other major economies, making digital asset policy an increasingly mainstream electoral issue rather than a fringe concern. Many parties are at best ignoring this growing crypto cohort and at worst alienating them with anti-crypto comments and policies. Any political party ignoring the reality and importance of what is happening does so at their electoral peril.
The Disconnect Between Original Vision and Political Appropriation Bitcoin and other early cryptocurrencies were born in 2008 out of a quest to get financial access for all, decentralization of power, personal sovereignty, and transparency. These principles were designed to transcend traditional political boundaries.
The core of cryptocurrency is best described as a technological innovation enabling new financial and organizational systems with the potential to embody democratic values. Whether these values are realized depends greatly on implementation, regulation, adoption patterns, ongoing development, and critically—who shapes their agenda.
When far-right politicians frame cryptocurrency as primarily a nationalist tool against globalization, they're selectively emphasizing aspects that align with their broader political narratives while ignoring the technology's borderless, inclusive foundations.
Let's be clear about what's happening: the far-right's embrace of cryptocurrency isn't necessarily genuine ideological commitment. In many cases, it represents an opportunistic attempt to capture a growing voter demographic. And while mainstream parties often remain silent on crypto policy, or worse, position themselves as anti-crypto, extremists are filling the void with strategic proposals framed in nationalist terms.
Real-World Use Cases Beyond Politics While political battles rage, the actual use cases for cryptocurrency continue to develop rapidly. Stablecoins—blockchain-based currencies pegged to traditional assets like USD or EUR—processed $28 trillion in transactions in 2023 alone, exceeding Visa's $16 trillion during the same period. These applications will continue to grow and become essential financial infrastructure.
Looking ahead, we cannot separate AI from crypto's future—they will inevitably converge. This synergy offers unprecedented opportunities: AI's predictive power combined with blockchain's trust mechanisms can create systems that are both intelligent and transparent. Countries demonstrating democratic leadership in artificial intelligence have the opportunity to champion crypto in the same optimistic, balanced, and thoughtful way.
A Call for Balanced Conversation The urgent need is for a national and global conversation about cryptocurrency that extends beyond extremist narratives. The cryptocurrency revolution will continue regardless of which political factions embrace it. The question is whether it will be shaped by extremist voices or by a broader consensus that upholds the principles that inspired the technology in the first place.
The battle for the votes of crypto-enthusiasts isn't coming—it's already here. We can't afford to let extremists define our technological future. Building an approach to cryptocurrency that embraces innovation while remaining true to its original inclusive values will require broader involvement.
The original promise of blockchain technology was to create more equitable, transparent, and accessible financial systems—values that should resonate across the political spectrum. As cryptocurrency continues its march toward mainstream adoption, reclaiming this narrative from those who would use it merely as a political weapon becomes increasingly vital.
The cryptocurrency revolution presents an opportunity to redesign financial systems in ways that benefit everyone. This vision is too important to be left to extremist voices—it deserves a balanced conversation that includes perspectives from across society.
