Grayscale Investments conducted research spearheaded by The Harris Poll. It determined that 71% of expected voters in the US support that political leaders should embrace crypto and AI.

The September study explored perspectives on crypto, artificial intelligence, investing, and how the future of the financial system, among other factors, could shape voting considerations in the 2024 US Election.

American Voters’ Feelings Skewed Towards Crypto

With the US election just a month away, 56% of “likely voters” now favor candidates who are knowledgeable about crypto over those who are not. This marks a 3% increase since May and an 8% rise since December. Voters are increasingly viewing emerging technologies like crypto and AI as essential to building future financial success.

Notably, two out of every five voters (40%) consider candidates’ positions on Bitcoin and other crypto assets when making their decision. This change in sentiment is notable compared to December 2023, when only 34% of voters expressed the same interest.

Read more: Crypto Regulation: What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks?

Further, the study established that more Americans own crypto in the future now than they did in 2023. This is more pronounced among the older generation. It ascribes the shift to the spot Bitcoin ETFs (exchange-traded funds), which offer intuitional investors BTC access.

“Nearly a third (30%) of voters said ETF approval of Bitcoin made them more interested in investing in Bitcoin or other crypto assets broadly. Also, nearly half of voters (46%) indicated that they expect some of their investment portfolio to include crypto in the future — a notable increase since 2023 (40%),” an excerpt in the research indicated.

Another interesting finding in the research is that crypto is progressively becoming a nonpartisan issue in the US. Specifically, there is an almost even split favorwise between the Republican and Democratic parties. This is despite crypto investors’ increasingly diverse voting demographics, such that:

• 63% of Hispanic and 68% of Black voters show interest in investing in Bitcoin, compared to 35% of White voters.
• Nearly a third (30%) of Hispanic and Black (31%) voters currently own Bitcoin, compared to only 13% of White voters.

These findings echo recent Consensys research, which determined that half of US voters support pro-crypto policies. According to the survey, 85% of crypto owners view crypto as a key voting issue. Meanwhile, 92% are likely to vote.

Republicans currently hold a slight edge in being perceived as more crypto-friendly, largely due to Donald Trump’s ongoing promotion of digital assets. Recently, Trump made headlines by purchasing burgers with Bitcoin and launching a DeFi venture, though the latter received a tepid response. He has also vowed to fire Gary Gensler, a top critic of the crypto industry, if elected.

Read more: How Can Blockchain Be Used for Voting in 2024?

Democrats, meanwhile, are seeing growing support from cross-party voters, with increasing warmth toward crypto. Kamala Harris, the party’s candidate, has begun accepting crypto donations and has committed to expanding the use of both crypto and AI in her campaign for the presidency.

The report highlights the growing significance of crypto in U.S. politics. According to Polymarket data, Kamala Harris currently holds a narrow lead, polling at 50% compared to Trump’s 49%, with just 34 days left until the election.

Despite its historical bullishness, October’s beginning has been anything but predictable. Traditionally dubbed “Uptober” by crypto enthusiasts for its typically strong performance, this month has faced substantial disruptions.

These disturbances stem from escalating geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran, which intensified dramatically on October 1 with a significant missile attack—the second incident this year.

Analysts Believe Altcoin Season Is Closer

This geopolitical strife has injected uncertainty into global markets, impacting cryptocurrencies with over $500 million in liquidations. Nevertheless, some experts view these disruptions as just hiccups preceding an altcoin season.

“Altcoin season is not going anywhere. The market is doing a shakeout. People are being tested. This is just like every other test. You need to pass,” pseudonymous analyst Altcoin Buzz stated.

Read more: 11 Cryptos To Add To Your Portfolio Before Altcoin Season

In response to the market downturn, prominent crypto analyst Miles Deutscher has outlined strategies for opportunistic buying during the dip. According to Deutscher, the key is focusing on previous leaders.

“It’s actually quite simple because we just had a sample size from the market. The market gave us information on the old coins that pumped when things were really bullish last week, so what you want to do is pick the leaders during the most recent rally,” he explained.

Deutscher believes that meme coins and AI tokens have been at the forefront of the market for the last two weeks. Hence, he expects that when the market rebounds from this dip, these sectors might become the strongest performers once again.

Specifically, Deutscher mentioned Dogwifhat (WIF), Pepe (PEPE), Popcat (POPCAT) and Mog Coin (MOG). He also pointed to Fantom (FTM), which showed remarkable resilience during the current market dip. Despite this, Deutscher continues to maintain a position in stablecoins as a hedge against potential further downturns.

“The real alpha here is to make sure your watchlist is pre-prepared based on relative strength. If the market drops further, you’ll know exactly what to buy, and you’ll be mentally prepared rather than panicking and derisking,” Deutscher stated.

He recommends using price aggregator platforms to monitor daily top performers, which are likely to lead once the market uptrend resumes.

Read more: 7 Hot Meme Coins and Altcoins that are Trending in 2024

Other analysts also echo the sentiment that the altcoin season is just around the corner.

“Altcoin season is closer than ever before. Uptober is still Uptober, despite the recent Middle East confrontations. I am starting to swap more Solana (SOL) and Ethereum (ETH) into memes and promising alts that I expect to make 5-10x returns,” crypto researcher 0xFinish noted.

Indeed, by preparing a strategic watchlist and understanding the relative strengths of different altcoins, investors can effectively capitalize on potential market rebounds. As always, vigilance and preparedness are key to leveraging opportunities during periods of volatility.

Input Output, a blockchain research and development company, announced that co-founder and CEO Charles Hoskinson received an award at the ETH10X event in Zug, Switzerland.

ETH10X celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Ethereum Foundation and its role in creating Crypto Valley, a key center for blockchain innovation.

Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson Recognized with Swiss Award

Hoskinson, along with seven other Ethereum co-founders, was recognized by the Canton and City of Zug for their contributions to the blockchain industry. He started working on Ethereum in 2013 as one of its original developers but parted ways after disagreements over the project’s direction.

“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized at ETH10X alongside my fellow Ethereum founders. Crypto Valley has been a cornerstone for the global blockchain industry, and I am proud to have played a part in its origins,” Hoskinson commented.

Although no longer part of the Ethereum Foundation, Hoskinson remains committed to advancing the blockchain industry. In 2015, he teamed up with Jeremy Wood to create Input Output, a blockchain research and engineering company that is now one of the leading firms in the field. The firm creates high-assurance blockchain infrastructure solutions for public, private, and government clients.

Read more: Who Is Charles Hoskinson, the Founder of Cardano?

In 2017, Hoskinson founded Cardano, a third-generation blockchain that stands out for its emphasis on academic research and a structured development approach. Cardano’s methodical process, relying on peer-reviewed research, positions it as a more secure and scalable alternative to earlier blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

“Since those early days, I’ve been inspired to continue driving the industry forward, and that passion has led to the founding of Input Output with Jeremy Wood. Our mission has always been to push the boundaries of decentralization, and with projects like Cardano, we are leading the way in building more secure, inclusive, and scalable financial systems that can empower people around the world,” Hoskinson added.

Input Output is continuing to develop new blockchain solutions. The company recently introduced Midnight, a fourth-generation blockchain platform focused on privacy and selective disclosure. Midnight allows users to manage both public and confidential information on-chain, addressing privacy, identity, and interoperability issues.

Additionally, Input Output’s recent Chang hard fork marked the beginning of the Voltaire era for Cardano, introducing decentralized governance and paving the way for the future of financial systems. This makes Cardano one of the first major blockchains to implement a token-based governance system.

Read more: What are Crypto Forks?

In an interview with BeInCrypto, Hoskinson also revealed plans to introduce a vision for “Cardano 2”, where he will outline potential improvements and future directions for the Cardano ecosystem.