Miami Mayor Says His Bitcoin Salary is Up 300% Despite the Latest Market Slump

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez says he’s sitting on roughly a 300% gain from the portion of his salary he took in Bitcoin, shrugging off the latest market pullback. In a Wednesday interview with Fox Business, the crypto-friendly mayor was asked if he was worried after Bitcoin slipped below $100,000 alongside broader market weakness. Suarez said he wasn’t fazed, claiming his BTC compensation began around $30,000 per coin, which at recent highs translated to gains of up to 400% when Bitcoin touched about $120,000.

Suarez argued that daily price swings matter less than the long-term “macro impact” of a digital store of value governed by code. He added that his focus is on the evolution of decentralized finance, crypto, and artificial intelligence rather than trying to time short-term moves. The comments echo his broader push to position Miami as a hub for digital assets and emerging technologies.

The mayor’s Bitcoin paychecks became a headline move in late 2021, a time when U.S. crypto policy was still unsettled and few elected officials publicly embraced BTC. Suarez announced then that he would take his next paycheck entirely in Bitcoin, drawing national attention for attempting to become the first state or federal-level lawmaker to do so.

Questions linger over the precise timing and pricing of those paychecks. Suarez has said he was paid when Bitcoin traded near $30,000, yet Bitcoin was closer to $64,000 in November 2021 when he announced his plan. Even so, Suarez has previously disclosed that he held Bitcoin and Ether before opting into crypto compensation and has publicly backed digital assets since at least December 2020. Supporters say his early and consistent advocacy underscores conviction, while critics argue that the numbers deserve more clarity. Either way, Suarez remains a high-profile political champion of Bitcoin.