Despite a lack of clarity from the FEC, at least one prominent Senate candidate is now accepting donations via Bitcoin.
The move has some fundraising experts wondering how the FEC will react. When the commission heard a proposal to allow candidates to accept Bitcoins last November, commissioners were concerned about campaigns collecting the personal data of the donors.
During transactions involving the currency, only the parties’ bitcoin addresses are public. The hearing ended with the commissioners deadlocked over whether campaigns can accept Bitcoin donations.
That hasn’t deterred Texas Rep. Steve Stockman (R), who was in New York this week for the opening of the NYC Bitcoin Center. During the event, he told Business Insider he wants to “promote Bitcoin” and is now accepting donations in the virtual currency, which has a fluctuating value, for his challenge to Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
How those donations will be reflected on his next quarterly FEC filing remains to be seen.