Presidential Hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Pledges Pro-Bitcoin Policies, Labels CBDCs as ‘Tools of Oppression

• Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expresses strong support for Bitcoin, promising to formulate policies bolstering Americans’ freedom to use it.
• Kennedy vehemently opposes Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), calling them “instruments of control and oppression.”

In his race to the White House, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has articulated a clear stance on cryptocurrencies, voicing unwavering support for Bitcoin and categorically rejecting Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). In a recent interview with the New York Post, the Democratic presidential candidate and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy pledged to instate policies bolstering Bitcoin usage and individual autonomy in managing Bitcoin wallets, nodes, and passwords.

Kennedy emphasized his commitment to limit control over Bitcoin transactions to the bare minimum necessary for preventing money laundering. This emphasis on the freedom to transact is in stark contrast with his stance on CBDCs, which he vehemently opposes, viewing them as oppressive control instruments that are destined for misuse.

In his criticism of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) cryptocurrency policies, Kennedy has highlighted Bitcoin’s potential to provide an alternative to an otherwise inequitable financial system. He lauded Bitcoin for its finite availability and infinite divisibility, characterizing it as the ideal base currency resistant to manipulation.

According to Kennedy, Bitcoin’s core principles inherently promote democracy as miners and unalterable algorithms dictate its course, not humans. As president, he vowed to make the right to own and use Bitcoin unassailable, fiercely advocating for the right to self-custody Bitcoin and other digital assets. He equated ownership of private keys to possessing keys to one’s car or wallet.

Earlier this year, during his keynote speech at the Bitcoin 2023 conference in Miami, Kennedy made headlines by criticizing Biden’s proposed 30% cryptocurrency tax and denouncing CBDCs. This was one among his many endeavors to build Bitcoin into his campaign platform.

In addition to his cryptocurrency policies, Kennedy shared views on Artificial Intelligence (AI), stating that global regulation of AI is essential. He expressed concerns over AI’s potential to control narratives, surveil activities, enforce compliance, and possibly enslave humanity. As per the opinion poll website FiveThirtyEight, Kennedy trails Biden by roughly 58 percentage points in the Democratic Party presidential primary as of the time of writing.