On a cool autumn evening in Philadelphia, PA, more than just crypto bros showed up in The City of Brotherly Love to show their support for Bitcoin and crypto on the fifth stop on the America Loves Crypto<\/a> tour. A diverse crowd of approximately 200, split evenly between men and women, filled Vinyl, a stylish venue in the heart of the city where the event was hosted. The size and enthusiasm of the crowds on this tour has grown considerably as it has rolled on, lending some credence to the notion that the crypto voting block may play a role in swaying major races in US elections come November.<\/p>\n The speakers on this tour date included former US Senator and member of Coinbase\u2019s Global Advisory Board Pat Toomey (R); former Congressman Patrick Murphy (D), Kara Calvert, Head of US Policy at Coinbase; Dominic Folino, President of the Pennsylvania Blockchain Coalition<\/a>; David Johnson, General Council and Strategic Advisor at The Giving Block<\/a>; Cody Eddings, co-founder and CEO of Snap Refund<\/a>; and Sam Weinrott, co-founder of PizzaDAO<\/a>. Electronic pop artist Lauv<\/a> headlined the event.<\/p>\n The theme at the event was that Pennsylvanians, 1.4 million of which are crypto owners, have a big role to play if they want to help move the US in a more pro-crypto direction. Pennsylvania is one of the seven swing states<\/a> that will likely decide the outcome of the US Presidential election in November, and it\u2019s the one with the most electoral votes: 19. Given that the number of that state\u2019s residents who own crypto is 18 times the vote differential<\/a> between President Biden and former President Trump in the 2020 Presidential election, it\u2019s imperative that pro-Bitcoin and pro-crypto Pennsylvanians vote, which the speakers at this event made clear.<\/p>\n As one of the first speakers at the event, Toomey, a long-term crypto advocate, set the tone for the evening, calling on voters to vote anti-crypto politicians out of office.<\/p>\n \u201cMy former colleagues have not been able to get legislation across the goal line [and] an out of control Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] is casting a dark shadow over all kinds of crypto development,\u201d began Toomey from the stage.<\/p>\n \u201cThe growth of this whole sector should be happening in the United States of America. We’ve got the head start. We’ve got the tremendous entrepreneurship. We’ve got the infrastructure. But, increasingly, some of the most talented people in our country are leaving because there are jurisdictions overseas that have provided legal clarity about this,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are some folks in Congress on both sides of the aisle that are very in favor of allowing crypto to really develop and thrive. And there are others who are very hostile. My suggestion: some of the hostiles need to lose an election.\u201d<\/p>\n Murphy brought a similar energy, as he highlighted the importance of Bitcoin and crypto as well as Pennsylvanians\u2019 role as voters to protect it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole point of crypto is the fact that we don’t have to rely on a government or a central bank,\u201d said Murphy, making the point that we can use the technology to control our own destiny.<\/p>\n He then seconded Toomey\u2019s call to action regarding voting anti-crypto politicians out of office.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was absolutely right when he said there’s people that are not for us, and we should hold them accountable,\u201d said Murphy.<\/p>\n To do so, Murphy hammered home the point that Pennsylvania voters have a key role to play in this election.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are only really six states that are going to control this election, [and] Pennsylvania [is one with] 19 electoral votes,\u201d said Murphy. \u201cSo, we have an incredibly important voice, but only if we use it.\u201d<\/p>\n Following the talks from Toomey and Murphy was a founders panel featuring Johnson, Folino, Eddings and Weinrott.<\/p>\n Much like what was discussed on a panel on the first stop on the tour<\/a>, the founders present asked for little more than clear rules of the road for crypto from the US regulatory apparatus.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing compliant in crypto right now in the US is incredibly hard because, as much as you want to follow the rules, it\u2019s not always clear what the rules are,\u201d said Johnson. <\/p>\n \u201cToo many folks in Washington either don\u2019t understand the technology, don\u2019t care to understand it, or, in many cases, unfortunately, are hostile to it. The reality is innovators are gonna innovate, whether it\u2019s here or somewhere else,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Founders share their thoughts on crypto regulation in the US.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that crypto is the future of payments, and the reason we\u2019re out here supporting this is that we want that to happen in the US, not elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Folino chimed in, sharing his thoughts on the roadblocks preventing the crypto industry from flourishing in the US.<\/p>\n \u201cPoliticians, regulation and one Senator whose name we all know I think is a real big reason why we\u2019re not moving forward,\u201d said Folino, presumably referring to Senator Elizabeth Warren, head of the anti-crypto army<\/a>. \u201cEveryone has to get out and vote; everyone has to continue to educate everyone they can.\u201d<\/p>\n Folino is no stranger to educating others, including policymakers in Pennsylvania, about Bitcoin and crypto. Through his work at the Pennsylvania Blockchain Coalition, he frequently speaks with state-level politicians.<\/p>\n \u201cFolks absolutely want to get it,\u201d Folino told Bitcoin Magazine about the elected officials and bureaucrats who he educates in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ve got a lot of more open-minded members in the PA State House. And I think they’re getting it in the Senate, as well,\u201d he added, before sharing that crypto will be a pivotal issue in upcoming PA elections in both this election cycle and even more so in the future.<\/p>\n Calvert echoed Folino\u2019s sentiment that crypto would continue to become a bigger voting issue as time goes on. She\u2019s also been pleasantly surprised by not only how many have raised their voices to make crypto an issue in this election cycle, but by how sharp those who have spoken up and come out to the America Loves Crypto tour events are.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a really sophisticated crowd,\u201d said Calvert of the tour\u2019s attendees. \u201cI expected more people who were just coming out for the artists, and what I’ve discovered is it’s people who really, really care deeply about crypto.\u201d<\/p>\n Calvert also commented on the fact that those in attendance are not only educated when it comes to crypto but are active voters, as well.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Detroit I asked the question \u2018How many people know where their polling place is?\u2019\u201d said Calvert, before mimicking the majority of the crowd\u2019s reaction by shooting her own hand into the air.<\/p>\n \u201cI was blown away. So, it’s not just the sophistication of them as crypto owners, [but] their sophistication as voters. In Milwaukee<\/a>, same thing. And here, same thing. I’ve been stunned by how sophisticated they are,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n In part because of what she\u2019s seen on the tour, Calvert believes that the Bitcoin and crypto industry will find a home in the US.<\/p>\n \u201cAmerica is going to win,\u201d said Calvert.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can’t prevent innovation from happening. You can make it a lot harder. You can create barriers. But ultimately, I think innovation wins out,\u201d she added, before noting that the new, powerful crypto voting block has to get out and vote in November to help expedite this process \u2014 especially in a state like Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n The final date of the America Loves Crypto tour is scheduled for Wednesday, September 18, at The Black Cat in Washington, DC and will feature a performance by The Chainsmokers<\/em>. You can RSVP to the event <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On a cool autumn evening in Philadelphia, PA, more than just crypto bros showed up in The City of Brotherly Love to show their support for Bitcoin and crypto on the fifth stop on the America Loves Crypto tour. A diverse crowd of approximately 200, split evenly between men and women, filled Vinyl, a stylish […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-crypto-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitcoins-101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitcoins-101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitcoins-101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitcoins-101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bitcoins-101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28072\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitcoins-101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitcoins-101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitcoins-101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Former Politicians Urge Pro-Crypto Pennsylvanians To Vote<\/h2>\n
Founders Ask For Clear Crypto Rules<\/h2>\n
A Sophisticated Voter Base<\/h2>\n