Ron DeSantis, who recently announced his candidacy for the U.S. presidency and is a potential leader of the Republican Party, views cryptocurrency as a matter of civil liberties and has expressed his reluctance to exercise control over individuals’ activities in this field. Despite having signed a bill that prohibits the use of central bank digital currencies in Florida, DeSantis has criticized the current administration’s efforts to regulate Bitcoin out of existence, perceiving it as a threat to their interests.
In an interview, Ron DeSantis emphasized the necessity of obtaining Congressional approval for the introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), expressing his reluctance to implement it during his possible presidency due to fears of its potential misuse in influencing politically undesirable transactions. Despite this view, some argue that CBDCs provide constitutional safeguards for commerce, protecting individuals engaged in unfavorable transactions, such as purchasing ammunition or selling pornography, from being unbanked, which is not possible when dealing with private companies.
The introduction of CBDCs could potentially become a divisive political topic in the United States. Samuel Armes, the president of the Florida Blockchain Business Association, which was involved in the creation of DeSantis’ anti-CBDC legislation, revealed in a recent interview with CoinDesk that DeSantis’ office has received a higher volume of phone calls regarding CBDCs than any other typical issue.
According to a recent survey conducted by Quinnipiac University, Ron DeSantis remains behind former President Donald Trump in popularity among Republican and Republican-leaning voters, with 56% favoring Trump and 25% supporting DeSantis. While DeSantis is not the first Republican candidate to express an interest in Bitcoin, Vivek Ramaswamy, a former pharmaceutical entrepreneur and underdog contender, has also voiced his opposition to CBDCs and suggested that the upcoming election should serve as a referendum on fiat currency, as stated during his appearance at Bitcoin 2023 in Miami.
