Miami’s Mayor Remains Unfazed by Crypto Crash, Still Receives His Paycheck in Bitcoin

Despite the tragedy of TerraUSD (UST) de-pegging and the subsequent chaos that plagued the cryptocurrency markets, Miami’s mayor remains resolute in receiving his salary in Bitcoin, but it seems he has other streams of income.

At the World Economic Forum (WEF), Miami Mayor Francis Suarez told attendees of a panel that he was still receiving his paycheck in Bitcoin and has no plans to stop. Suarez’s comments are coming on the heels of plummeting cryptocurrency prices over the last few months with Bitcoin down by over 30% in the last 2 months.

The Mayor told the audience that he remains unperturbed by the mayhem in crypto streets and will continue accepting his salary in Bitcoin. A reason for his cool, calm, and collected nerves is because of his multiple income streams that might serve as a buffer during volatile moments.

“I will note, for the record, that it’s not my only salary,” said Suarez. “It’s a different decision than if a person was deciding to take their salary in Bitcoin if it was the only source of income for them.”

Mayor Suarez drew the attention of cryptocurrency enthusiasts last year when he announced that he will begin taking his entire paycheck as Mayor in Bitcoin. Before the announcement, Suarez publicly announced his desire to pay government employees in Bitcoin as part of efforts to improve crypto adoption in the city. 

Making Miami the crypto capital of the U.S. 

Mayor Suarez has been making moves to make Miami a leading crypto hub since his assumption of office. The city has been receptive to cryptocurrency miners, and there have been conversations about allowing citizens to pay bills and taxes with crypto.

“I want us to differentiate ourselves as a crypto capital of the United States or the world,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg.

Suarez has been backing his claim with actions, with the city famously launching MiamiCoin which netted the city over $5.2 million. In November 2021, there were plans for the city to distribute $21 million to Miami’s citizens through the ambitious plans to create a digital wallet for each citizen.

Miami was the center of attention after successfully hosting the Bitcoin 2022 conference. Major players in Bitcoin’s ecosystem like MicroStrategy’s CEO Michael Saylor, ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood, billionaire Peter Thiel, CEO of Strike Jack Mallers, and others. Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s pro-Bitcoin president, was scheduled to make an appearance but pulled out due to unforeseen circumstances.

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