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.