Renato 38tão in a meeting with Alckmin rekindles questions about Bitcoin and politics in Brazil

Influencer Renato 38tão experienced a moment that quickly turned into a debate on social media. During the launch of the Portuguese translation of “Thank God For Bitcoin” at Travessa do shopping Casapark in Brasília, the Bitcoin maximalist posed for photos with Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Chief of Staff Pedro Giocondo Guerra. What might have gone unnoticed, however, sparked a flood of criticism and questions about political consistency and personal principles.

The controversy was not trivial for those following Renato 38tão’s journey in the crypto community. Often critical of President Lula, the influencer had built a reputation for being uncompromising on his values. The photo with Alckmin, therefore, raised questions about whether this rigidity of principles remained consistent.

The disagreement between supporters and critics

The profile República was among the first to publicly question the approach. The post highlighted the meeting and mentioned that Guerra had previously explicitly supported the creation of a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve in Brazil. The comments that followed were heated. A user with the profile @1ravrok made a particularly blunt critique: “Sorry Renato, but you’re the one who taught me to judge someone by what they do, not by what they say they do. Your stance shouted very loudly in these photos.”

Not everyone, however, shared this view. The profile @ualifiaraujo defended the influencer, arguing that refusing to take photos at an open event would be an overreaction: “If you’re launching a book and someone approaches, you don’t run away from your launch because of that… whoever it is.”

Renato 38tão’s position: message above divisions

Renato responded clearly to the criticisms. In posts on X early in the morning, he explained that his fundamental commitment was to spread the message of Bitcoin to everyone, regardless of political affiliation or ideological stance. He made it clear that he does not support PSDB or Alckmin, but emphasized that this does not mean refusing a respectful conversation with anyone willing to listen.

The main argument was pragmatic: at a public and open event, the influencer considered his role as an educator about Bitcoin more important than managing political conflicts. Renato 38tão signaled that he would take photos with anyone who showed a willingness to understand the world’s leading cryptocurrency, reaffirming that his advocacy should not be subject to ideological filters.

Behind the scenes: Guerra’s vision for Brazil

Alckmin’s presence at the event was not random. Pedro Giocondo Guerra, an economist and deep student of Bitcoin, likely extended the invitation. The reason goes beyond simply participating in a book launch. Guerra has long advocated for Brazil to establish a public Bitcoin reserve—not as speculation, but as a tool to fund major national projects: basic sanitation, improvements in public education, infrastructure.

The economic reasoning behind this proposal is sophisticated. Guerra argues that Brazil needs a stronger currency with lasting purchasing power. Faced with the devaluation of traditional fiat currencies and recurring economic crises, Bitcoin—due to its inherent scarcity and technical resilience—could serve as a store of value. He sees cryptocurrency not just as a technological response to the 2008 crisis, but as an instrument capable of making the Brazilian state more efficient in managing its resources.

Close to maximalism, Guerra dismisses other cryptocurrencies, focusing solely on Bitcoin. For him, true innovation lies not only in blockchain technology but in Bitcoin itself as a sovereign monetary system.

The deeper meaning of “Thank God For Bitcoin”

The book that inspired the meeting carries an ambitious intellectual proposal. Published in 2020 with contributions from various authors, “Thank God For Bitcoin” goes beyond explaining technology or markets. The work explores fundamental questions: what is money? What is the morality of a monetary system? How has the current financial system been corrupted to benefit a few while harming millions?

The authors trace the genealogy of money, documenting its origins, its progressive degradation over the centuries, and explore the possibility of redemption through Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency is presented as a tool to restore trust in financial institutions and offer hope in a system that, in the authors’ view, is fundamentally broken.

It is in this intellectual context that Renato 38tão chose to promote the translation of the book into Portuguese. More than a marketing event, the launch represented the dissemination of an alternative economic philosophy within the Brazilian political landscape—and this partly explains why the presence of political figures like Alckmin generated so much interest and controversy on social media.