German politician wants to make Bitcoin legal tender in Germany

European Union lawmakers anticipate the arrival of the digital euro, but German politician Joana Cotar is pushing back against the currency and fighting in favor of Bitcoin.
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Cotar would also like to initiate a “preliminary examination” for a legal framework that would recognize Bitcoin as legal tender in Germany. “This includes ensuring the legal security for companies and citizens,” she said.
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Cotar’s ongoing awareness campaign, the “Bitcoin im Bundestag” initiative, will host a launch event on Feb. 22, 2024. The event prioritizes German parliamentarians, although regular citizens may attend.
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JC: I had a wow moment when I added Bitcoin to my political career; I discovered how that solved many problems. Bitcoin is the freedom currency we need to solve a lot of problems.

I tried to push it within my party, Alternative für Deutschland. You can find all the measures I tried on my website, but I was unsuccessful.

I was in charge of digitalization, but the typical response was fear and the inability to trust computers. I had no chance to push my ideas and eventually left the party in 2022.

At that point, I realized I was free. I’m not responsible for what my party is saying. I can do whatever I want, so let’s use the remaining two and a half years I have in the German parliament to do something relevant.
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CT: You have claimed you wish Bitcoin to be legal tender in Germany. Is it possible in Germany to recognize BTC as a legal tender at the municipal, state or federal level?

JC: I think having Bitcoin as a legal tender in Germany is possible.

We could start small in some cities, as in the case of Lugano, Switzerland. We could begin in Berlin or Munich and scale up from there. Afterward, we can implement this throughout Germany.
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CT: Who would oppose making Bitcoin legal tender in Germany?

JC: I think the conservatives will oppose it because they fear losing power. They’re always the parties who want to control the people, which is crazy for me. I would think that the leftist parties would be far more interested in monitoring the people, but in Germany, it’s the conservatives.

Regarding the Green Party, they would reject it at this moment because of its high energy cost. They think it would damage our environment, but if we let them know it’s the contrary, they may change their mind.

I would tell them how Bitcoin mining can stabilize the network, which is actually a disaster in Germany. I think they will change their minds because that’s their primary obstacle. Furthermore, if you would inform a leftist party how Bitcoin can help in real-case scenarios in the world for human rights, I think they could change their minds. But we need someone who explains all these things to the members of parliament.
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With the kickoff event 'Bitcoin im Bundestag,' Bitcoin has entered the political discourse in Germany. Roman Reher of Blocktrainer, the largest German-speaking Bitcoin YouTube channel, and Kristian Kläger, CEO and founder of terahash.energy GmbH, delivered two formidable introductory presentations in the German Parliament. Since German politicians still mainly associate Bitcoin with criminal activities, money laundering, and climate damage, the objective was to nurture a better understanding of the unique opportunities Bitcoin has to offer.

Privacy was paramount to kickstarting the event. Given that Bitcoin remains a complicated subject in German politics, ensuring full privacy for attending MPs and their staff was crucial to spare them potential reprimands from their party leaders. The event was well-attended, also by visitors from outside. Since MPs preferred to take a backseat on the main floor, ordinary visitors were invited to fill the front seats. Overall, the event was a big success, and more Bitcoin events in the Bundestag are in the pipeline. While cameras were not permitted during the main event, a few exclusive moments later allowed for capturing select opinions on camera.
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In the following interview, Joana Cotar provides unprecedented insights into the workings of German politics. She discusses the free access banking lobbyists have to the German parliament, their strong influence on MPs, and articulates concrete requests such as making Bitcoin legal tender, allowing for self-custody, promoting sustainable Bitcoin mining, and urging opposition to the introduction of the digital Euro.

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