Belgian MP becomes first European politician to accept salary in Bitcoin

The Belgian MP will convert his monthly salary of EUR 5,500 to Bitcoin using the country’s popular cryptocurrency trading platform Bit4You.

Bitcoin (BTC) craze among lawmakers has reached the Belgian parliament now, as Brussels member of parliament Christophe De Beukelaer became the first European politician to convert his salary to Bitcoin.

The Brussels MP’s monthly salary of EUR 5,500 will be converted to Bitcoin using Bit4You crypto trading platform, reported Bruzz. Beukelaer who represents Humanist Democratic Centre (CDH) party, hopes his move would inspire other politicians in the region to show a similar interest in the nascent tech. 

Beukelaer cited the example of New York City Mayor Eric Adams and how American politicians are working to make their native state or city a Bitcoin hub. He said:

“New York City Mayor Eric Adams has spent three months collecting his Bitcoin salary to make New York the 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 who is known for his BTC advocacy. He has been quite vocal about making the city a Bitcoin hub and apart from getting his own salary in Bitcoin, he has been working on policies to avail the same option for the city employees.

Related: No regrets for NYC mayor receiving his first Bitcoin paycheck during dip

Not just politicians, some of the biggest names in the sports have also come forward to accept BTC salaries. A total of seven NFL stars have chosen to get paid in Bitcoin until now, similarly, NBA stars such as Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala have also announced they would accept Bitcoin salaries moving forward.

The confidence of sports stars added with a growing number of politicians looking to get paid in BTC indicates the growing popularity of Bitcoin as an asset.