Belgian MP Christophe De Beukelaer will receive a salary in Bitcoin. De Beukelaer became the first European politician to convert his salary to Bitcoin.
Bruzz reports that the Brussels MP's monthly salary of 5,500 euros ($6,140.75) will be converted into Bitcoin using the
Bit4You crypto trading platform. Beukelaer, who represents the Humanist Democratic Center (CDH) party, hopes his move will inspire other politicians in the region to show a similar interest in emerging technology.
Christophe De Beukelaer cited the example of New York Mayor Eric Adams and how American politicians are working to make their local state or city Bitcoin hubs.
Belgian lawmaker Christophe De Beukelaer said, “New York Mayor Eric Adams spent three months collecting his Bitcoin salary to make New York a Bitcoin hub. “I think it is not too late for Brussels and Belgium to play a leading role in the cryptocurrency industry.”
Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez is another popular lawmaker known for his BTC advocacy. He has been very vocal about making the city a Bitcoin hub and is working on policies to make the same option available to city workers, in addition to earning his own salary in
Bitcoin.
Not just politicians, but some of the biggest names in sports have stepped forward to get their salaries in BTC. A total of seven NFL stars preferred to pay with Bitcoin. Similarly, NBA stars like Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala have announced that they will be paid in Bitcoin in the future.
Added to by the growing number of politicians looking to get paid in BTC, the confidence provided by sports stars shows the growing popularity of Bitcoin as an asset.