With varying results, U.S. politicians offer NFTs to campaign donors

Democrat Shrina Kurani of California and Republican Blake Masters of Arizona have offered NFTs as incentives for campaign donors. Kurani raised a smidge over $6,000, while Masters raised nearly $575,000.

Why should we care?
The success of politicians’ Blockchain-based fundraising efforts may mirror the values of their voter bases. The cryptocurrency space is politically diverse, but it leans libertarian, according to Coindesk columnist David Z Morris. Masters’s U.S. Senate campaign hinges on a promise to “do more with less.” He preaches minimal government intervention in finance, which certainly resonates with crypto-enthusiasts who are wary of state power. It’s also worth noting that Masters isn’t exactly short on cash himself: He runs Thiel Capital, the investment giant founded by Peter Thiel. His campaign’s NFTs were based on the cover art for Zero to One, a book on technological innovation that Masters co-wrote with Thiel. Little has transpired since the Federal Election Commission approved cryptocurrency-based political contributions eight years ago; these NFT-based developments may suggest a multiplier effect, in which wealthy campaigns use the Blockchain to widen the gap between themselves and more cash-strapped candidates.