On March 11, 2025, Rep. Ro Khanna gave a short but impactful talk at the Bitcoin Policy Institute’s Bitcoin for America summit.
“Bitcoin is transformational for so many people around the world,” Rep. Khanna stated at the summit. “That is why the Democratic Party should be embracing it as something that can create financial empowerment for people not just in the United States, but around the world.”
This is the type of message he’s been spreading for years now, and he’s urged his fellow Democrats to follow his lead. He’s implored them to not be scared of Bitcoin but to view it just as they view other major technological advancements of our time, including the internet itself.
“My goal is to make Bitcoin bipartisan,” Rep. Khanna told Bitcoin Magazine. “I want to convince Democrats that bitcoin is a next-generation store of value that millions of people around the world use and that America showing leadership on it allows us to connect with these people, often some of the most disenfranchised.”
For a party that often advocates for financial inclusion, it seems almost ironic that so many Democrats have looked past Bitcoin, an open-source technology that anyone can use with nothing more than an internet connection (and, in some cases, even without one).
With that said, Rep. Khanna made the point that, while he remains one of the few more vocal Democrats when it comes to being pro-Bitcoin, the number of Democratic politicians who have stated that they’re in favor of the technology has increased substantially over the past few years.
“We went from just 10 of us or so supporting Bitcoin and crypto to almost 70 or 80,” said Rep. Khanna. “It’s happening slowly.”
And while some have attributed to malice most Democrats’ historical stance on Bitcoin, Rep. Khanna claims the issue is more a lack of understanding of the technology’s purpose and use cases.
“Some Democratic politicians are not aware of how helpful Bitcoin can be with remittances or how it can be used by those who don’t have access to U.S. dollars,” said the congressman. “Many people around the world use it for both reasons,” he added, alluding to the idea that many, including some Democrats, might not be aware of this fact.
The Bitcoin And Crypto Voting Bloc In U.S. Swing States
According to research from Coinbase, in each of the swing states in the most recent U.S. presidential election, there were about 10 times the number of crypto holders compared to the vote differential between Biden and Trump in 2020.
Harris lost to Trump in each of these swing states, leaving some to speculate that the turnout of the Bitcoin and crypto voting bloc may have been one of the primary forces that swayed the election in Trump’s favor.
While Rep. Khanna doesn’t know to what extent this voting bloc impacted the election results, he agreed that it was likely one of many major factors that affected the outcome of the election.
“I think it made a difference,” said the congressman. “In such a close election, everything matters, and the fact that there were some Democrats who offended Bitcoin and crypto voters was not helpful.”
And Rep. Khanna is not alone in acknowledging this.
In December 2024, at the New York Times DealBook Summit, Van Jones — political analyst, media persona, and prominent voice within the Democratic party — stated that it was to the Democratic party’s detriment that it shut out pro-Bitcoin and pro-crypto voters.
Rep. Khanna sang Jones’ praises and said that we should be hearing more voices like Jones’ within the Democratic party speaking up in favor of Bitcoin in the near future.
“I have a lot of respect for Van Jones,” said Rep. Khanna.
“He spent some time in the Bay Area, so he gets technology. The party will be moving in a direction that’s going to embrace Bitcoin and other technologies,” he added.
Will President Trump’s Embrace Of Bitcoin Deter Democrats From Supporting It?
While it only seems logical that the Democratic party would reverse its stance on Bitcoin if it’s looking to pick up seats on the House and Senate come the 2026 midterm elections, it simultaneously seems difficult to imagine more Democrats coming out in support of Bitcoin given the highly partisan political climate in the U.S. coupled with the fact that President Trump is an ardent Bitcoin supporter.
Rep. Khanna argued that Democrats shouldn’t be thinking along party lines when it comes to Bitcoin, but rather assessing the technology based solely on what it is.
“Politicians are capable of evaluating Bitcoin on its merits,” said Rep. Khanna.
“Bitcoin is just a decentralized digital currency that enables peer-to-peer transactions without a need for an intermediary. People just need to study Bitcoin and learn that it’s just a medium of exchange,” he added.
Rep. Khanna also took a moment to differentiate between Bitcoin and meme coins, highlighting the fact that the president’s recently released coin ($TRUMP) creates much confusion regarding the value proposition of crypto assets, including bitcoin.
“We shouldn’t have elected officials like President Trump launching meme coins,” said the congressman.
Getting Democrats on the Right Side of History
At a time when many U.S. citizens are struggling to make ends meet, should Bitcoin be a front-and-center issue for Democrats, once widely regarded as the political party of the middle and working class?
Rep. Khanna doesn’t necessarily think so, but he also doesn’t think the party should continue to pooh-pooh the technology.
“There are far bigger issues at hand right now like the cuts in Medicaid, the firing of veterans, and the erratic policy of tariffs,” the congressman explained.
“But the Democrats were on the wrong side of issues of innovation and Bitcoin in 2022 and 2024, and we now have an opportunity to get on the right side of it,” he added.
So, how can pro-Bitcoin Democrat voters help to get their party on the right side of history when it comes to Bitcoin?
Rep. Khanna had a few suggestions:
“They should point to those of us who are leading on Bitcoin and crypto,” he said.
“They can encourage members of government to study the issue, so that they’re not uninformed,” he added.
“And they should talk about the enormous adoption of Bitcoin.”
