Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who has been in exile in Russia since 2013, warned attendees at the Bitcoin 2024 conference about politicians trying to woo them over crypto.
In a July 26 speech held virtually at the crypto conference, Snowden said many lawmakers were trying to earn the “love” of Bitcoiners, hinting at those attending the Nashville event. He did not explicitly refer to United States or international politicians, though US Senators Bill Hagerty, Cynthia Lummis and Tim Scott addressed attendees in different panels shortly before Snowden spoke.
“Cast a vote, but don’t join a cult,” said Snowden. “They are not our tribe. They are not your personality. They have their own interests, their own values, their own things they’re chasing. Try to get what you need from them, but don’t give yourself to them, even if you have to vote for them.”
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From exile in Russia, Snowden has often spoken virtually at crypto-related events and through social media to express his opinions on Bitcoin (BTC) and financial privacy. Though many supporters have called for US Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden to pardon the NSA whistleblower while they were in office, as of July 2024, there was no plan to do so.
Trump, who won the Republican nomination for US president in 2024, is expected to speak at the Bitcoin conference on July 27. In 2020 during his last year in office, he said he would “start looking at” pardoning Snowden, but he did not follow through before leaving in January 2021.
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