New Yorkers Tout Blockchain at Libertarian Party Convention

Last week, at the New York Libertarian Party Convention, there was some strong enthusiasm for blockchain technology. According to a report from the Verge, former Ron Paul campaign consultant Nick Spanos was on a mission to promote voting via distributed ledger technology. Other attendees, like presidential candidate John McAfee, also had opinions about the emerging tech.

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The Libertarian Party Is a Big Proponent of Decentralized Technologies

There have been many who have said that the libertarian agendas people place behind Bitcoin and its underlying technology are not ideal for the protocol’s adoption. However, many libertarians — especially those with anarchist foundations — will tell you that such notions are far from the truth. In fact, these libertarians believe that the very basis of the decentralized technology comes with an abolitionist ideology. Those who believe in minimal government believe the technology could be used to enhance the voting system, which they think has been manipulated a great deal. Others feel the cryptocurrency itself has appealing attributes that very much align with free market philosophy.

At the Libertarian Party Convention, held in Manhattan’s East Village, Nick Spanos, CEO of Blockchain Technologies Corp., was in attendance. Spanos spoke of replacing traditional voting systems with a distributed ledger’s cryptographic assurance. Electronic voting machines today have been widely reported to be either manipulated or malfunctioning during many elections. Spanos and his company describe on its website its technology’s first use case in production:  

“Blockchain Tech Corp. has developed a patent pending Blockchain voting technology that works the same way voters are already used to, but behind the scenes adds the power of the Blockchain ledger ensure all votes are counted correctly and cannot be altered, enabling honest and fair elections and polling.”

During the New York event, the Verge reported that Spanos was sharing his concept with many of the libertarian attendees at the event. John McAfee, who arrived later in the afternoon, is also a believer in cryptocurrency and blockchains but is a touch more critical than most. He tells the Verge reporter, “We can talk about the technology all day long, but it means nothing unless you have a plan for usurping that control.” McAfee, who accepts bitcoin for his presidential campaign, isn’t entirely convinced that bitcoin is the digital currency that will help seize control. Recently, McAfee told the Entrepreneur Network:

“I think electronic currency is inevitable. — Let’s face it, Pandora’s box has been opened it is here. Whether or not it is Bitcoin is the question. There are tremendous technology problems with Bitcoin. There are tremendous infrastructure problems.”  

Still there are many proponents of Bitcoin and blockchain technology within the party that support its disruptive potential. Former Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul (who leans libertarian) and Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson accepted the digital currency for campaign finance. Alongside these individuals, the main Libertarian Party headquarters accepts bitcoin for funding and discussions regarding the technology are often found at many events.

The Verge reports that Spanos feels his proof-of-concept may entice attendees. Spanos explains to the reporter that it is tough to manipulate these new protocols. The Blockchain Technologies CEO states, pointing to an unused ballot, “This here, I can’t change any of this shit — Even if I wanted to, there’s no way I could change this person’s ballot. This is here forever and the whole world can see it.”

What do you think about the Libertarian Party members supporting these new technologies? Let us know in the comments below!

Images courtesy of the Libertarian Party Website, Wiki commons, Pixabay, and Crypto-graphics.com.

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