Belgian MP becomes first European politician to accept bitcoin salary

The Belgian lawmaker will convert his monthly salary of 5,500 euros into bitcoin through Bit4You, the country’s popular cryptocurrency exchange.

The Bitcoin frenzy among lawmakers has now made its way to the Belgian parliament, with Brussels MP Christophe De Beukelaer becoming the first European politician to convert his salary into Bitcoin.

According to Bruzz, the Brussels MP's monthly salary of 5,500 euros will be exchanged for bitcoin through the Bit4You cryptocurrency exchange. Beukelaer, who represents the Centre for Humanitarian Democracy (CDH), hopes his move will inspire other politicians in the region to show similar interest in the emerging technology.

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

“New York City Mayor Eric Adams spent three months collecting his bitcoin salary to make New York a bitcoin hub. I don’t think it’s too late for Brussels and Belgium to take the lead in the cryptocurrency industry.”

Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez is another popular lawmaker known for advocating for BTC. He has been vocal about making the city a Bitcoin hub. In addition to earning his salary in Bitcoin, he has also been working on policies to give the city's employees the same option.

Not only politicians, but some celebrities in the sports world have also come forward to accept bitcoin salaries. A total of seven NFL stars have so far opted to pay their salaries in Bitcoin, as have NBA stars such as Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala announcing that they will accept Bitcoin salary.

The confidence of sports stars, coupled with a growing number of politicians looking to get paid in bitcoin, points to the growing popularity of bitcoin as an asset.