Christophe De Beukelaer Belgian MP Moves To Raise Awareness About Bitcoin

Christophe De Beukelaer Belgian MP has kicked off 2022 with bold moves to raise awareness about Bitcoin, says not taking time to learn about BTC is Europe’s biggest risk.

Christophe De Beukelaer is the first European politician to convert his entire salary to Bitcoin (BTC).

He made the brave decision to start off 2022, aiming to increase awareness about Bitcoin and alternative monetary models, provide financial education, and get people talking.

 

De Beukelaer initially became interested in Bitcoin and blockchain in 2017, and he envisions Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies playing a role as a “counterpart to the established financial sector” in the future.

 

He agreed to an interview with Cointelegraph to discuss his vision for Bitcoin and his motives for getting paid in Bitcoin.

 

When asked about how long it took to get to grips with Bitcoin and “go down the rabbit hole,” De Beukelaer said that not taking the time to learn about the protocol is “One of the biggest risks we have in Europe for the moment.” He explained:

 

“The political people don’t take time for this journey. They are very busy with the day-to-day administrations of the cities and the countries, but they don’t stop and say, OK, what’s happening now? What are the big evolutions coming in the next 10, 20, 50 years? And that’s the job.”

 

The 34-year-old Brussels Minister conceded that the lack of awareness surrounding the cryptocurrency and Bitcoin space is a “big problem,” and that if Europe doesn’t get its hands dirty with the cryptocurrency space, then “Asia [or] the U.S. will decide everything.”

 

In his view, being paid in Bitcoin is an excellent way of raising awareness about the space and as a professional European official, the act brings another layer of credibility to the space.

 

When pushed on a Bitcoin price prediction for 2022, he masterfully dodged the question, joking that 2022 would provide “an incredible performance.”