Regulation

Robert Valentine, chairman of the Libertarian Party in the Netherlands, has erected a number of pro-crypto billboards in advance of an election later this week.

In an image shared on Valentine’s Twitter account, the libertarian party leader appears with laser eyes atop a message which states “Bitcoin is the future.” The party is one of 37 vying for seats in the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, which is scheduled to hold a general election on March 17.

“I wanted to have something that stood out and showed people that we embraced Bitcoin as a solution for a revolution,” said Valentine in an interview with crypto YouTuber BitcoinMeister. “We want to have a fundamental change of the system, and Bitcoin and blockchain can help.”

Any political party in the Netherlands may receive one seat in the House of Representatives for each 0.67% of the vote. There are more than 17 million people in the country, with roughly 12.8 million registered to vote in the last election in 2017, meaning the libertarian party would likely need the support of between 70,000 to 90,000 to win at least one seat. The party currently has no seats in the House, having recorded a mere 0.01% of the vote four years ago.

The libertarian party has been outspoken regarding its support of Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies, and was one of the first political parties to begin accepting crypto donations back in 2013. A publication from the Netherlands’ arm of the party says “both gold and Bitcoin meet the criteria for a stable currency.”

Modifying profile pictures to include “laser eyes” has become somewhat popular among prominent members of the crypto space, both as a symbol of adoption and general bullish sentiment. Well known figures with laser eyes have included Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, U.S. Senator from Wyoming Cynthia Lummis, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.