- It’s official: On October 10, 2025, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to María Corina Machado for “tireless” work to restore democracy in Venezuela. NobelPrize.org
- Her stance on Bitcoin: In a widely cited Sept. 5, 2024 interview hosted by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), Machado called Bitcoin a “lifeline” for Venezuelans and “a vital means of resistance.” Human Rights Foundation
- Why she says it matters: Machado argued Bitcoin “bypasses government‑imposed exchange rates,” helping people protect their savings and transact despite repression and hyperinflation. Human Rights Foundation
- Policy signal: She even floated including Bitcoin in Venezuela’s future national reserves as part of a democratic rebuild. Human Rights Foundation
- Context: In the interview, she highlighted the collapse of the bolívar—14 zeros removed and 2018 inflation near 1.7 million%—as the backdrop for Bitcoin’s humanitarian use. Human Rights Foundation
- Media framing: Mainstream and crypto press have since described her as a Bitcoin-friendly peace laureate, spotlighting her “resistance money” remarks. Yahoo Finance
The in‑depth story
A peace laureate with a hard take on money and freedom
The Norwegian Nobel Committee named María Corina Machado the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient on Oct. 10, 2025, praising her leadership in the struggle to achieve a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in Venezuela. The award vaulted the longtime opposition figure onto the world stage at a moment when Venezuelans continue to grapple with economic collapse and political repression. NobelPrize.org
What Machado actually said about Bitcoin
Machado’s Bitcoin views aren’t an afterthought of her Nobel moment; they were on the record a year earlier in an HRF conversation about financial repression. In that interview, she:
- Described Bitcoin as “a lifeline” for Venezuelans navigating hyperinflation and capital controls. Human Rights Foundation
- Said it “bypasses government‑imposed exchange rates” and now functions as “a vital means of resistance.” Human Rights Foundation
- Argued that in a free Venezuela, Bitcoin should be considered for national reserves as part of rebuilding stolen wealth and restoring transparency. Human Rights Foundation
The HRF transcript is unusually explicit: it links Bitcoin’s censorship‑resistant properties to real‑world survival—from preserving savings to funding an escape—under an authoritarian regime. Human Rights Foundation
The economic backdrop that shaped her view
Machado roots her argument in Venezuela’s monetary disaster. She notes that under Chávez and Maduro the bolívar lost 14 zeros, with inflation hitting about 1.7 million% in 2018—numbers that turned salaries to dust and pushed citizens toward tools outside state control. In that environment, Bitcoin became a practical workaround for people to maintain value, accept remittances, and transact despite arbitrary bank freezes or currency pegs. Human Rights Foundation
A policy signal—real or rhetorical?
Beyond humanitarian use, Machado signaled a policy horizon: exploring Bitcoin as part of future national reserves in a democratic transition. That’s a bold idea—more radical than the incremental crypto pilots common in other countries—and one she frames alongside property rights, low inflation, and transparency as pillars of recovery. Whether such a move would ever be adopted is uncertain, but the signal itself is unmistakable. Human Rights Foundation
How the media is reading it
Since the Nobel announcement, outlets have highlighted that the new Peace laureate is openly pro‑Bitcoin, recirculating her “resistance money” remarks and their implications for digital rights and economic freedom. Crypto‑focused publications amplified the angle; Yahoo Finance summarized it plainly: this year’s Peace Prize winner previously spoke about Bitcoin as resistance money. Yahoo Finance
Why this matters beyond Venezuela
Machado’s comments knit together two debates often kept separate: human rights and financial infrastructure. By arguing that sound, censorship‑resistant money can protect dissidents and the poor under authoritarianism, she reframes Bitcoin not as speculation but as a rights‑tech—a tool whose first utility is freedom of transacting. Whether one agrees with the prescription (e.g., crypto in reserves), her Nobel‑heightened platform is likely to intensify global discussion on digital cash, sanctions, and the ethics of financial control—especially across the Global South. (Analysis.)
Pull‑quotes (what she said, verbatim and brief)
- Bitcoin is a “lifeline” for Venezuelans. Human Rights Foundation
- It “bypasses government‑imposed exchange rates.” Human Rights Foundation
- It has “evolved from a humanitarian tool to a vital means of resistance.” Human Rights Foundation
- “We envision Bitcoin as part of our national reserves.” Human Rights Foundation
Bottom line
- Yes—this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate explicitly supports Bitcoin’s role in Venezuela.
- Her own words frame Bitcoin as resistance money that helps real people amid repression—and she even floated a reserves role for BTC in a post‑dictatorship rebuild. Human Rights Foundation
- With the Nobel spotlight, expect her Bitcoin‑as‑human‑rights message to travel far beyond Caracas. NobelPrize.org
Sources & further reading
- Official Nobel announcement & materials: laureate profile, press release, and summary. NobelPrize.org
- Primary interview (HRF): full transcript of Machado’s remarks on Bitcoin, inflation, and reserves. Human Rights Foundation
- Synthesis coverage: media recaps of her pro‑Bitcoin stance post‑award. Yahoo Finance
