Conor McGregor the former UFC champ and Irish presidential candidate put forth a very controversial plan which he announced on May 9, 2025. This bold proposal of his is to break up the monetary monopoly and bring Bitcoin into the heart of the Irish financial system.
Stronger border security, aggressive crime reduction, and economic independence. The Bitcoin reserve is at the core of that third element. McGregor aims to “put back the people’s money” which plays into global libertarian crypto politics.
So far he has been into the big events. McGregor did in fact meet former US President Donald Trump which played to his “America First” brand of politics. While there is lots of hype around it, McGregor’s Bitcoin plan is also very much in the crosshairs of issues.
Conor McGregor Pushes Crypto Sovereignty
Conor McGregor is to use state funds to purchase Bitcoin which he will run as a treasury reserve. Also he is to work with key players in the crypto space like Anthony Pompliano and David Bailey in the development of Ireland’s digital reserve.
In the vein of El Salvador’s 2021 Bitcoin adoption this is also very much like the U.S. government which at present has over 198,000 BTC mostly from criminal operations.
Ireland, says McGregor that which may do well is for the country to reduce it’s euro dependency and at the same time take a forward looking approach in finance.
Conor McGregor Hits Barriers
Conor McGregor’s proposal which is to have European Union regulations put in place. As a member of the EU Ireland is not able to change its reserve currency which would break the rules of the European Central Bank.
Also at large is that which we note of McGregor which is that he runs independently of the support of the main political parties. The Irish presidency is in large part a ceremonial post which does not include the power to put into practice such large scale policies.
Public doubt also plays a role in slowing adoption. In Ireland only 11% of adults invest in crypto. Also recent polls report that 63% of voters are against crypto’s integration into our main economic structure.
Also in other news, McGregor is dealing with issues to do with his public image which have come out of legal and financial issues. He has a civil conviction for sexual assault, is under investigation for hate speech, and also saw the fall of his REAL token project which didn’t even meet half of its funding goal.
Conor McGregor Echoes Global Bitcoin Trends
Conor McGregor’s issue is a piece of a global trend. In that trend we see that the US, Bhutan, and El Salvador have adopted Bitcoin as a store of value. These countries do so to protect against inflation, to gain tech foresight and to better independent economic stands.
Yet what we see is that Ireland will require the EU to put in place some treaty changes, private public funding structures, and also secure digital storage systems. At present which may not be doable in the short term because of public resistance, volatility, and security issues.
Still, McGregor’s issue put forward a wide range of issues in the EU. In 2023 with the MiCA framework we see that political pressure has brought about meaningful digital asset regulation.
Conclusion
Conor McGregor’s push into Bitcoin is maybe more for show than substance. In the age of crypto and politics that which is symbolic does in fact change the political conversation. While we may see little of this play out practically, the proposal does put Ireland on the crypto map which is exactly where he wants us.
