Mayor of Miami, Frances Suarez, announced to his more than 118,000 followers on Twitter Tuesday that he wants to be paid in bitcoin going forward. While several U.S. politicians have accepted cryptocurrencies for campaign contributions, Suarez seems to be the first elected official to publicly state his intentions to receive his salary in bitcoin. His declaration was in response to a question posted on the social media site by crypto influencer, YouTuber, and author Anthony Pompliano.
Mayor Suarez tagged Miami’s director of innovation and technology in the tweet, Mike Sarasti, to help make good on this announcement. The mayor faced reelection on Tuesday, so it’s unclear if this announcement was a publicity stunt to raise voter awareness or another gesture of public support for cryptocurrencies.
During his tenure, Suarez has been one of the most vocal proponents of cryptocurrencies, and bitcoin in particular, in the country. This year alone, he advanced the idea of issuing a “MiamiCoin” cryptocurrency on the CityCoin platform, which could one day be used to fund municipal building projects instead of bonds as well as tax collection. The “Magic City” also hosted the bitcoin 2021 conference this summer, with support from its top elected official. Last month, Suarez announced plans to submit a proposal to the Miami City Commission to allow municipal workers to be paid in bitcoin.
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Suarez has also repeatedly stated that he wants to make Miami the “crypto capital of the United States or of the world.” That’s likely to continue to be his mantra, as the 44-year old won in a landslide reelection bid against five other candidates in this race.
Suarez was first elected to the position back in 2017, when he received more than 80 percent of the vote. He has served as the 43rd mayor for that city, but he’s its first Miami-born individual to win that office. He’s a lawyer and a registered Republican, even though the mayoral position is non-partisan.
On The Flipside
- It’s good to see a politician putting their money where their mouth is.
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Why You Should Care?
Salary payment to a politician would be another step forward to widespread crypto adoption.
