In 2013, the police chief of Vicco, a small town located in Kentucky, United States, Tony Vaughn, made a rather unusual request: to be paid in bitcoin, triggering an unprecedented decision within his hierarchy. Against all expectations, this request was approved, marking a significant advancement in the realm of salary payments within government entities.
This innovative move surprised many observers but was welcomed by local authorities. The mayor of Vicco took the initiative to set up a bitcoin wallet for the municipality, intended to manage funds for infrastructure projects and other community initiatives. This pioneering initiative demonstrates the town's willingness, situated in the state of Kentucky, to embrace new financial technologies.
In a statement, Tony Vaughn emphasised: "I firmly believe that cryptocurrency is the future of financial transactions. This evolution is necessary to adapt to the rapid technological changes of our time." His conviction regarding the growing importance of this new technology in the modern economy motivated his request.
Tony Vaughn has become the first government employee to be paid in bitcoin. This decision paves the way for potential changes in the way salaries are managed within local and national administrations. Since then, Tony Vaughn has often attracted the attention of the American press, but he has always preferred to remain discreet about his private life. When asked about bitcoin, his answer was unequivocal: he predicted a bull market for bitcoin for many years to come.
Vaughn's initiative provoked mixed reactions from the public. While some welcomed the decision as a step into the future, others expressed concern about the volatility and reliability of crypto-currencies for official payments. Yet years later, some countries have chosen to legalise bitcoin and recognise it as an official currency, despite the persistence of these debates, even in the midst of bitcoin's global expansion.
