> The industry has gained political capital, too. In America, the congressional Blockchain Caucus counts 35 lawmakers as members. Cynthia Lummis, a senator from

> The industry has gained political capital, too. In America, the congressional Blockchain Caucus counts 35 lawmakers as members. Cynthia Lummis, a senator from Wyoming, has received a big chunk of her 2026 campaign contributions from individuals linked to crypto firms. Last month she said she opposed Jerome Powell’s reappointment as head of the Federal Reserve because of the central bank’s “political approach to digital assets”. In October 2020 the Chamber of Digital Commerce’s political-action committee gave $50 worth of bitcoin to every member of Congress. A constant refrain from those heavily invested in the financial system is that governments will "make Bitcoin illegal." What's missing from this perspective is the possibility that as Bitcoin becomes more widely-recognized and doesn't vaporize in a puff of schadenfreude, it gains powerful supporters who can ensure that the clampdown never happens. Ironically, there are those using Bitcoin who would like to see nothing less than a total ban of Bitcoin use in the US. They see this as final proof of the utility, value proposition, and when the ban fails to work, vindication.