Breaking the System
Embrace Crypto, Turn Texas Blue, Transform American Politics
God forbid these United States ever collapse into civil war. But if we did, it would probably look something like Alex Garland’s ominous Civil War—a prescient film where ideological enemies California and Texas unite against authoritarianism. Thankfully, actual armed conflict remains unlikely. More probable than a crisis coalition of Republican-led Texas and Democratic-controlled California is a subtler political transformation: Texas reverting to its Democratic roots through an unexpected revolutionary force—cryptocurrency.
To turn Texas blue, Democrats need to become the party of Bitcoin—of all cryptocurrency, really. Democrats need to overtake the Republican embrace of crypto, and with a vengeance, leading young and independent voters to overwhelmingly associate the Democratic brand with the bright economic opportunities and deep anti-system energy of the rapidly expanding crypto world. Forget $TrumpCoin, let the progressive left fund insurgent primary campaigns with a $100 billion Sanders-endorsed $Berniecoin.
In 2024, polled voters were thirteen points more likely to consider a candidate outside their party if they support preferred pro-crypto policies. This position holds among all voters, with the proportion of those currently invested in crypto dramatically higher. In Texas, voters closely reflected the national average of 13%. The demographics of crypto owners and likely crypto investors closely mirror the larger Democratic base, and as such express more trust in Democrats to set policies for the crypto industry. Crucially, however, independent voters as a whole favored Republicans by a margin of 11%.
Crypto voters are highly engaged: 92% of crypto owners said they planned to vote in 2024, which in the Lone Star State amounted to approximately 4.1 million (36%) of the total electorate. If Democrats can peel off 19% of this voting bloc (just one third of the 58% of crypto holders open to switching parties), they’ll win Texas and its 40 electoral votes in 2028. And if Democrats can swing Texas going all-in with a progressive pro-crypto message, similar demographic and industry dynamics would likely hand them Florida, Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina as well.
Because it's still “the economy, stupid.” But that means something very specific to most voters, something substantially different from the metrics James Carville had in mind back in 1992. We can scream until we're blue in the face about low inflation, high wages, and record unemployment, but most people don't care about those statistics at all. Even the obsession over egg prices misunderstands how personalized—and handheld—today’s electorate gauges their economic wellbeing: people just want to pull out their phone, look at an app, and see the number go up. That's it. Whether it's a subscriber count on social media, the value of an IRA or 401k, or the price of Dogecoin, these are the metrics voters care about when they answer the question, "are you better off now than you were four years ago?"
We can scream until we're blue in the face about low inflation, high wages, and record unemployment, but most people don't care about those statistics at all. Even the obsession over egg prices misunderstands how personalized—and handheld—today’s electorate gauges their economic wellbeing: people just want to pull out their phone, look at an app, and see the number go up.
And better off, in our profoundly interconnected world, is an increasingly communitarian concept: the world of crypto runs on a vision of shared prosperity. This is not Gordon Gecko's savage zero-sum jungle. In crypto, we all get rich together. I'm really not at all sure how this is supposed to work to any sustained degree, but I know for a fact the sentiment of a rising tide lifting all boats belongs squarely in the party of FDR and LBJ, not DJT. It's time to reclaim it.
Financial glory has always driven crypto culture, but at its root the technology emerges from a utopian vision of democratized, decentralized finance fueled by a distrust and disillusionment of mainstream financial systems. According to this world view, fiat currencies and the nations and organizations that uphold them are at best dysfunctional and inefficient, and at worst corrupted by a self-serving elite.
and others have convincingly argued that the 2024 election outcome was determined by anti-system sentiment, which factors whenever an incumbent is up for reelection but this past year may have crested to an all-time high. Crypto has always been anti-system, but by 2024 so was pretty much the entire electorate:As Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez captured the zeitgeist: “Perhaps we are in the downfall of the broken way. This was not built to last: inequity, injustice is not built to last... ultimately, it crumbles into this: a small cohort of incompetent people that create damage, and from that something new can spring.” This sentiment perfectly encapsulates crypto's revolutionary potential—a technology born from systemic frustration and hope for radical reimagination.
To be clear, the crypto revolution is only anti-system in theory. As with every threat to entrenched power, crypto is already establishing its own counter-systems and centralized structures at times in competition—and at others in close collaboration—with the world’s oldest financial institutions. The myth of Trump as system-slayer is equally fallacious, yet impenetrable, earning him easy access to the deep reactionary heart of crypto culture. Now with Trump back in the White House, the left has a golden opportunity to reoccupy its rightful place fighting against corrupt systems and a greedy elite. But championing crypto as an economic alternative cannot be Democrats’ lone anti-system position. It must play a role in a broader recalibration against abuses of power and broken systems, a desperately overdue correction to the party’s disastrous decades of neoliberal decline.
Is crypto home to many scams? Largely, it would appear to be so. It's speculative, manipulative, underregulated and overhyped. But in the eyes of its holders, crypto represents economic opportunity. Moreover, investing in crypto assets is seen as a transparent, fair bet—unlike a stock market where the typical investor is more likely to be on the menu than have a seat at the table. In an economy with vanishingly few pathways to advancement, crypto offers a sorely needed—if illusory—chance at independent financial success. Autonomy, security, sovereignty: these are the promises of crypto.
Now with Trump back in the White House, the left has a golden opportunity to reoccupy its rightful place fighting against corrupt systems and a greedy elite. But championing crypto as an economic alternative cannot be Democrats’ lone anti-system position. It must play a role in a broader recalibration against abuses of power and broken systems, a desperately overdue correction to the party’s disastrous decades of neoliberal decline.
Driven by these values, crypto culture has spawned its own realm of third spaces, a response to our crises of loneliness and isolation most dangerously afflicting younger men. Yes, young men are desperate to get ahead and disdain the systems that failed them, but they're also in dire need of human connection and positive role models. Crypto influencers address all of these needs. They give more than hot tips; they are often self-help gurus preaching various gospels of discipline and self-improvement. More than anything, they create communities centered on common goals, shared values, and positive reinforcement.
The communal crypto space has heretofore been invisible to the left, or at best visible but derided and disregarded – a huge strategic liability. Genuinely and authentically aligning with digital currencies' anti-system ethos will help those on the left tap into this burgeoning cultural ecosystem, as crypto has become increasingly synonymous with community. In 2024, crypto voters broke heavily for Trump because he made crystal clear his intention to govern in a crypto-friendly manner.
Trump and the toxic manosphere claimed ownership over the crypto environment, but it doesn’t have to be that way. For the left to ascend, it simply cannot remain that way. When liberals and progressives unilaterally disengage from the crypto community, predators have free rein to define it. They won't just tell their followers how to vote. They'll continue to poison the minds of a generation with the most toxic expressions of masculinity.
Thus gaining dominance in the crypto space will require an inside/outside strategy, reaching existing Democratic constituencies and new ones, from union pubs and state party central committees to climate rallies and Twitter spaces. A robust inside/outside effort will also create dynamic debates among the broader left, a healthy outcome that will help with crafting improved policy positions.
But let’s get creative. One innovative outside strategy would be an activist-led decentralized digital co-op leveraging blockchain technology to raise money, endorse candidates, poll stakeholders and democratically distribute campaign funds. No consultants. No SuperPACs. No rug pulls. The first of its kind, this revolutionary demonstration of the technology's potential to harness people power as opposed to profit potential would run on radical transparency and the viral exhilaration of disruptive patriotism. Digital one-person, one-vote "smart contracts" would ensure truly democratic governance and representation, but the right political leaders and megadonors could still build hype and strength by validating and funding the initiative.
An activist-led, decentralized digital co-op leveraging blockchain technology to raise money, endorse candidates, poll stakeholders and democratically distribute campaign funds. No consultants. No SuperPACs. No rug pulls…Just the viral exhilaration of disruptive patriotism.
This activist co-op works on multiple levels, initially as a natural gateway for progressives to enter the crypto space. The more folks on the left become fluent and comfortable with crypto, the better. Second and more importantly, the co-op opens an outpost in their natural habitat for current crypto voters to engage with and become stakeholders on the activist left. If you build it, they will come. Imagine the co-op's biweekly podcast celebrating fundraising milestones, announcing upcoming stakeholder votes, and discussing the results of recent coop polling. Candidates seeking co-op endorsement would be interviewed, as would figures from the mainstream crypto world to help unpack recent developments and their political implications.
A progressive grassroots crypto community will go a long way toward opening up a virtuous cycle between crypto culture and the left. But activists and party insiders alike will have to reach further and meet people where they are, diving deep into mainstream crypto spaces: NFT art galleries. Crypto conferences. Discord servers and YouTube channels. Leave no digital stone unturned, seek out crypto voters where they already organize and get to know them on their own terms. Learn about crypto from them and earn their respect and trust
And while we’re at it, let’s leave behind the obsession with the Midwestern diner customer representing the endangered species of independent voter at the heart of Democrats’ broken election models; show me more New York Times profiles of the undecided 25-year old crypto voter. It’s time to start focusing on this actually significant voting bloc, whether you’re the liberal media, a state party chair, or an elected official.
“Bitcoin is the most progressive idea, which is empowering people with a way of standing up against powerful governments.” -Congressman Ro Khanna
Inside the halls of power, Democrats can join crypto caucuses where they exist and establish them where they do not. Use good old-fashioned study groups, press conferences, committee hearings and messaging bills to raise Americans' awareness and signal to crypto voters where the party stands. And by all means, meet with crypto lobbyists and take their big fat checks. Launch meme coins. Jump in hard and fast. Don't just speak about it, be about it.
Lean in fully, but distinguish from the opposition by taking the work of crypto policymaking seriously. Nailing the proper regulatory and legislative framework won't be easy, but thoughtful leadership on these questions is both a responsibility of good governance and an opportunity to grandstand in the name of consumer protections and rebuilding the middle class: "Republicans want to give dark money exchanges the power to gamble on your house. We will never let that happen."
The left’s anti-system, anti-establishment narrative runs deeper than the right’s, which leans heavily on resentment and nihilism. Our vision is rooted in universal values, and it’s data-driven. So to be taken seriously, Democrats must now distinguish ourselves from our toxic past as well. “Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and their oligarchs failed us,” a leftwing politician could say, “they privatized the gains and socialized the losses. Nobody’s retirement fund should ever be wiped out because a billionaire made a risky, greedy bet. This is our commitment on crypto management.”
Not crypto regulation, crypto management. Call it crypto guidance, fostering crypto prosperity, enabling crypto entrepreneurship. Use every affirming, uplifting euphemism in the book, but for the love of God, don’t call it regulation. This part is deceptively simple, but Democrats need to lead with a positive vision for the country. Give voters something optimistic to believe in! Name and shame MAGA for all their abuses and bitter savagery, but come twice as hard with a bright future for voters to sign onto. Crypto-driven prosperity will be but one plank in such a Democratic riff on morning in America.
Democrats need to lead with a positive vision for the country. Give voters something optimistic to believe in! Crypto-driven prosperity will be but one plank in such a Democratic riff on morning in America.
Successfully casting a broadly optimistic leftwing vision for the country (including crypto prosperity) will require adoption of the right's highly successful 24/7/365 organizing and "flood the zone" attention game. Old school investments in community organizing and face-to-face voter contact must be comprehensively buttressed by constant appearances in legacy media, new media, and emerging media (like Substack).
Failing to make a serious play for crypto voters would amount to political malpractice, especially given the growing legion of young Americans entering politics on the terms of anti-systemic crypto culture. Yet the size of this bloc is limited by cryptocurrencies' burdensome technical barriers to entry. Even for the tech-savvy consumer, the logistics of buying and holding crypto assets with any modicum of confidence or security can be frustratingly unnavigable. Purists would argue these hurdles represent a positive feature, rather than a stultifying bug, of this emerging alternative technology. But it is a real and solvable problem, and fixing it ought to be Democrats' unifying crypto campaign promise.
"Solving the crypto accessibility crisis" is straightforward, simple, and easy to understand. This is a purely technical challenge, not an outcome of any governmental decision, but that really doesn't matter. If you take one thing away from these words, let it be the deep disconnect between what politicians say, what they do, and what voters believe. That elected officials have no impact on the actual ease of buying crypto matters far less than the perception of strong support they can instill among industry leaders and the culture's rank and file. Let's own the message of "buying Bitcoin as easily and securely as buying toilet paper on Amazon."
When Jeff Bezos started selling books over the internet, nobody knew that he would end up selling absolutely everything and jetting off into space. We live in strange, unpredictable times. I would have gasped at the notion that Donald Trump would be elected president not once but twice, but here we are again with him ripping the country off and eviscerating what’s left of the constitution. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the old political playbook is entirely irrelevant.
The crypto revolution isn't just about digital currencies—it's about reimagining power structures, democratizing opportunity, and reclaiming a future stolen by entrenched elites. Embrace crypto, win Texas, and you don't just transform American politics—you rebuild the promise of American democracy itself. Let's get to work.
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Thank. you Evan. You have at least given some thought to how to proceed, and you're the only "Progressive" so far to figure out a way to progress. I'm spreading this around.
I have no idea what to think about this theory. But it’s clearly well thought out and heaven knows we need new ideas, new thinking. So continue, please. How do you propose we deal with the seemingly unsustainable energy requirements?