Key Takeaways:
- A Brussels Member of Parliament will be paid in Bitcoin for the entire year of 2022.
- His monthly salary of 5,500 euros will be converted into Bitcoin automatically by the Belgian cryptocurrency trading platform Bit4You.
To increase awareness about bitcoin in Europe and generate conversations about its use across all spheres of society, Christophe De Beukelaer, a Brussels member of parliament, declared that he would take his 2022 salary in bitcoin.
“I am the first in Europe, but not the globe,” De Beukelaer wrote in a blog post, “to desire to throw the spotlight on cryptocurrencies using such an approach. I believe Brussels and Belgium can still be at the forefront of the Bitcoin business. We already have some fantastic companies in the industry, but now is the moment to define our position and build a true ecosystem.”
Getting paid in bitcoin this year, according to De Beukelaer, is a way to draw attention to the peer-to-peer currency in Europe, which, despite having essential enterprises in the area, risks falling behind North American markets.
In a blog post, the Brussels deputy said that, in addition to piquing politicians’ interest in cryptocurrency, he wants to demonstrate “confidence in this new world” and inspire “serious reflection on our monetary system.”
Similar declarations by a slew of politicians have recently made news, but although most of these forerunners are from North America, De Beukelaer is taking the East’s initiative. The deputy from Brussels stated that his approach aims to awaken Europe to the potential benefits of Bitcoin in the region, as the United States and Canada have so far led the way in terms of acceptance with specific actions.
Last year, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez embarked on a drive to make his city the United States’ Bitcoin capital, introducing legislation that would allow city employees to be paid in bitcoin and citizens to pay city taxes in bitcoin.
