Former finance minister says Germany is not recognizing Bitcoin’s value

Christian Lindner, the former Finance Minister of Germany, questioned the country’s leaders for not adopting Bitcoin’s economic opportunities, especially as the U.S. moves forward with crypto innovation. 

The leader of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) Christian Lindner questioned the German government for failing to adopt Bitcoin’s economic opportunities. He pointed out that key German leaders missed the chance to use Bitcoin for growth. His views were strongly supported by his party, the FDP, but some in the crypto community questioned why he spoke up so late.

Germany’s FOMO

Lindner’s comments criticize Germany for falling behind in crypto especially when compared to the U.S. He also criticized the leaders for failing to recognize Bitcoin as a valuable financial tool. He directly called out Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Minister of Economics Robert Habeck, and opposition leader Friedrich Merz for not acting on the opportunities of Bitcoin.

“I have not heard from the Federal Chancellor, the Minister of Economics or the opposition leader that a new crypto-friendly policy is now being implemented in the United States,”

Lindner stated.

He highlighted that nations like the U.S. are advancing their crypto strategies, but Germany is falling behind. “The US will use the advantages that we could also have with Bitcoin,” Lindner added, calling it a missed opportunity for the country’s economy.

U.S. leads while Germany lags

Lindner’s criticism comes as the U.S. takes bold steps toward embracing cryptocurrencies under Donald Trump’s leadership. Trump has promised to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the planet” and proposed creating a national Bitcoin reserve, which supported the crypto industry on the whole.

In contrast, Germany’s approach to Bitcoin has faced criticism. Earlier this year, the German government sold 50,000 BTC which was seized through legal cases, when the Bitcoin was valued at around $53,000.

With Bitcoin now hitting a record of over $107,000, been said that Germany lost billions in Bitcoin profits. “Saxony sold Bitcoin worth billions at half the price,” Lindner pointed out and mentioned how wrong the decision was.

Within the Free Democratic Party (FDP), Lindner’s support for Bitcoin has got strong backing. His colleague Frank Schäffler praised him on X post saying, “Christian Lindner supports Bitcoin in the Bundestag. Germany must seize this opportunity and not let the US take the lead. Finally!”

Schäffler also suggested that Bitcoin should be included in the reserves of the European Central Bank (ECB) and Germany’s Bundesbank.

As of the 2024 European elections, the party has pledged to support a “digital euro” while ensuring citizens’ privacy is protected.

Reactions from the public

Lindner’s speech received mixed responses from the German crypto community. Some praised him for bringing Bitcoin into parliamentary discussions, while others criticized him for speaking up too late.

“The man had almost 4 years as finance minister to have the necessary debates, and now that there’s a fire, he notices? Bitcoin doesn’t need politicians. Politicians need Bitcoin.” someone mentioned in his tweet.

Lindner warned that Germany risks falling behind like the US with crypto innovation. He urged leaders to recognize Bitcoin’s value, saying, “We cannot afford to ignore Bitcoin’s value any longer. The opportunities are too significant to let slip away.”

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