Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made his first public appearance as a presidential candidate at the Bitcoin 2023 conference today, sharing his own experiences with Bitcoin, warning about how technology enables government totalitarianism in the world and outlining how he would protect the rights of Bitcoiners if elected president.
“As president, I will ensure that your right to own and use bitcoin is inviolable,” Kennedy said. “I am an outspoken and lifelong defender of civil liberties and Bitcoin is both an exercise and a guarantee of those liberties.”
Kennedy told the crowd that he was first inspired by bitcoin as a critical freedom technology after learning how it was being used to circumvent financial restrictions during the Canadian truckers’ protest last year.
“None of these legal and peaceful protesters had broken any laws…But suddenly they found they couldn’t access their money, their bank accounts to pay their mortgages or feed their families,” said- he recalled. “When I witnessed this… devastating use of government repression, I realized for the first time how just as important free money is as free speech.”
Kennedy has publicly expressed his support for Bitcoin since May 2023, acknowledging its separation from other cryptocurrencies and indicating that lawmakers should support its development rather than hinder it, as with regulations such as the Biden administration’s proposed tax on energy used by miners. On stage, he reinforced his distaste for such regulations and he outlined the steps his administration would take to boost Bitcoin innovation in the United States.
“First, I will defend the right of self-custody of bitcoin and other digital assets,” he said. “Second, I will uphold the right to run a home node…Third, I will advocate for usage- and industry-neutral energy regulation…Fourth, I will ensure that the United States remains the plate global hub of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies… I will reverse the government’s growing hostility towards this industry.
Finally, he said he would look closely “if individuals like Ross Ulbricht”, the founder of darknet, bitcoin-based marketplace Silk Road, who was given a double life sentence in 2013, were prosecuted.” for actual crimes, or as a means of cracking down on crypto.
“I will consider forgiving them and I will act very quickly to do so,” Kennedy added.
kennedy launched his Democratic primary candidacy shortly before signal support for the Bitcoin industry on Twitter and announcing his Bitcoin 2023 appearance. His public positions on issues such as vaccination mandates and climate change have contradicted those of most mainstream Democrats and he has positioned himself as a stranger to the party. As of this writing, he is in second place, albeit behind by a significant margin, behind Joe Biden in the national poll average.
At Bitcoin 2023, Kennedy clarified that he was not personally invested in bitcoin and announced that his presidential campaign would be the first in history to accept donations through the Lightning Network.
“We now live in the era of turnkey totalitarianism…and our job is to try to build and strengthen democratic institutions at the same pace,” he concluded. “The biggest, the most important on the horizon is Bitcoin, because it cannot be manipulated.