On March 11, 2025, Rep. Ro Khanna gave a brief however impactful speak on the Bitcoin Coverage Institute’s Bitcoin for America summit.
“Bitcoin is transformational for thus many individuals around the globe,” Rep. Khanna said on the summit. “That’s the reason the Democratic Get together ought to be embracing it as one thing that may create monetary empowerment for folks not simply in the US, however around the globe.”
That is the kind of message he’s been spreading for years now, and he’s urged his fellow Democrats to observe his lead. He’s implored them to not be terrified of Bitcoin however to view it simply as they view different main technological developments of our time, together with the web itself.
“My objective is to make Bitcoin bipartisan,” Rep. Khanna advised Bitcoin Journal. “I wish to persuade Democrats that bitcoin is a next-generation retailer of worth that hundreds of thousands of individuals around the globe use and that America displaying management on it permits us to attach with these folks, typically a number of the most disenfranchised.”
For a celebration that usually advocates for monetary inclusion, it appears virtually ironic that so many Democrats have appeared previous Bitcoin, an open-source know-how that anybody can use with nothing greater than an web connection (and, in some circumstances, even without one).
With that stated, Rep. Khanna made the purpose that, whereas he stays one of many few extra vocal Democrats on the subject of being pro-Bitcoin, the variety of Democratic politicians who’ve said that they’re in favor of the know-how has elevated considerably over the previous few years.
“We went from simply 10 of us or so supporting Bitcoin and crypto to virtually 70 or 80,” stated Rep. Khanna. “It’s occurring slowly.”
And whereas some have attributed to malice most Democrats’ historic stance on Bitcoin, Rep. Khanna claims the difficulty is extra a lack of information of the know-how’s objective and use circumstances.
“Some Democratic politicians will not be conscious of how useful Bitcoin may be with remittances or how it may be utilized by those that don’t have entry to U.S. {dollars},” stated the congressman. “Many individuals around the globe use it for each causes,” he added, alluding to the concept that many, together with some Democrats, won’t concentrate on this truth.
The Bitcoin And Crypto Voting Bloc In U.S. Swing States
In line with research from Coinbase, in every of the swing states in the latest U.S. presidential election, there have been about 10 instances the variety of crypto holders in comparison with the vote differential between Biden and Trump in 2020.
Harris misplaced to Trump in every of those swing states, leaving some to take a position that the turnout of the Bitcoin and crypto voting bloc could have been one of many major forces that swayed the election in Trump’s favor.
Whereas Rep. Khanna doesn’t know to what extent this voting bloc impacted the election outcomes, he agreed that it was seemingly certainly one of many main elements that affected the end result of the election.
“I believe it made a distinction,” stated the congressman. “In such an in depth election, all the things issues, and the actual fact that there have been some Democrats who offended Bitcoin and crypto voters was not useful.”
And Rep. Khanna will not be alone in acknowledging this.
In December 2024, on the New York Occasions DealBook Summit, Van Jones — political analyst, media persona, and distinguished voice throughout the Democratic get together — stated that it was to the Democratic get together’s detriment that it shut out pro-Bitcoin and pro-crypto voters.
Rep. Khanna sang Jones’ praises and stated that we ought to be listening to extra voices like Jones’ throughout the Democratic get together talking up in favor of Bitcoin within the close to future.
“I’ve a number of respect for Van Jones,” stated Rep. Khanna.
“He spent a while within the Bay Space, so he will get know-how. The get together will probably be shifting in a course that’s going to embrace Bitcoin and different applied sciences,” he added.
Will President Trump’s Embrace Of Bitcoin Deter Democrats From Supporting It?
Whereas it solely appears logical that the Democratic get together would reverse its stance on Bitcoin if it’s seeking to decide up seats on the Home and Senate come the 2026 midterm elections, it concurrently appears tough to think about extra Democrats popping out in assist of Bitcoin given the extremely partisan political local weather within the U.S. coupled with the truth that President Trump is an ardent Bitcoin supporter.
Rep. Khanna argued that Democrats shouldn’t be considering alongside get together strains on the subject of Bitcoin, however quite assessing the know-how primarily based solely on what it’s.
“Politicians are able to evaluating Bitcoin on its deserves,” stated Rep. Khanna.
“Bitcoin is only a decentralized digital forex that permits peer-to-peer transactions with no want for an middleman. Individuals simply want to review Bitcoin and study that it’s only a medium of trade,” he added.
Rep. Khanna additionally took a second to distinguish between Bitcoin and meme cash, highlighting the truth that the president’s lately launched coin ($TRUMP) creates a lot confusion relating to the worth proposition of crypto belongings, together with bitcoin.
“We shouldn’t have elected officers like President Trump launching meme cash,” stated the congressman.
Getting Democrats on the Proper Facet of Historical past
At a time when many U.S. residents are struggling to make ends meet, ought to Bitcoin be a front-and-center problem for Democrats, as soon as extensively thought to be the political get together of the center and dealing class?
Rep. Khanna doesn’t essentially suppose so, however he additionally doesn’t suppose the get together ought to proceed to pooh-pooh the know-how.
“There are far larger points at hand proper now just like the cuts in Medicaid, the firing of veterans, and the erratic coverage of tariffs,” the congressman defined.
“However the Democrats have been on the fallacious aspect of problems with innovation and Bitcoin in 2022 and 2024, and we now have a chance to get on the precise aspect of it,” he added.
So, how can pro-Bitcoin Democrat voters assist to get their get together on the precise aspect of historical past on the subject of Bitcoin?
Rep. Khanna had just a few solutions:
“They need to level to these of us who’re main on Bitcoin and crypto,” he stated.
“They’ll encourage members of presidency to review the difficulty, in order that they’re not uninformed,” he added.
“And they need to speak concerning the monumental adoption of Bitcoin.”