At a rally in Philadelphia on October 9, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a pro-cryptocurrency U.S. presidential candidate often referred to as RFK Jr., made a significant announcement. He declared his decision to withdraw from the Democratic primary nomination and instead run as an independent candidate, stating, "I'm here to declare myself an independent candidate."
Kennedy has been a staunch supporter of cryptocurrencies and has outlined one of his administration's key goals as making the United States a global hub for cryptocurrencies, particularly focusing on Bitcoin. In July, he unveiled plans to back the U.S. dollar with "hard currencies" such as gold, silver, platinum, and Bitcoin.
Furthermore, Kennedy has been a vocal critic of the Federal Reserve's FedNow instant payments system, drawing parallels with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). He expressed concerns that FedNow could serve as a precursor to a potential ban on and seizure of Bitcoin. The U.S. Federal Reserve subsequently launched a public awareness campaign to differentiate FedNow from CBDCs, but Kennedy remained skeptical.
Kennedy's decision to campaign independently gained traction, with the super PAC "American Values 2024," which supports him, releasing a poll on October 2. The poll claimed that Kennedy could become the strongest independent candidate in modern American electoral history, with a 19% voter support rate. To put this in perspective, U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump polled at 38%.
While numerous independent candidates have thrown their hats into the ring for the 2024 presidential race, only a handful have managed to capture widespread attention. Interestingly, Biden's sole remaining Democratic challenger is author Marianne Williamson. Although the Kennedy name has long been associated with the Democratic Party, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s positions on various issues, including his stance against vaccines, have distanced him from both the party's mainstream and his own family.
Kennedy's views on cryptocurrencies closely align with those of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate. DeSantis shares Kennedy's disapproval of FedNow and CBDCs while expressing strong support for Bitcoin. Nonetheless, polls indicate that DeSantis lags far behind Trump in the Republican primary nomination race.
With Biden and Trump currently leading in the polls within their respective major political parties, it appears increasingly likely that the next U.S. president will hold anti-CBDC and pro-cryptocurrency positions. Cryptocurrencies are expected to play a pivotal role in influencing voter choices in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
