Libertarian political activist and anti-war campaigner Adam Kokesh drew attention to his 2020 U.S. presidential run with an unusually direct and highly controversial message: if elected, he said he would sign a single executive order designed to begin dissolving the federal government in what he described as a peaceful and orderly process. To spread that message beyond online audiences and activist circles, Kokesh launched a large-scale promotional effort centered on physical book distribution and cryptocurrency fundraising.
A mass-mail campaign built around “Freedom!”
The initiative, called “Operation Big Easy Book Bomb”, was announced on March 15, 2018. Its goal was to raise $143,000 to print and deliver approximately 205,000 copies of Kokesh’s 2014 book Freedom! to residential mailboxes throughout the New Orleans area. The timing was deliberate: Kokesh aimed to complete the distribution shortly before the Libertarian Party’s National Convention, using the campaign as a broad voter outreach effort tied to his presidential platform.
According to the plan, each book would also include a letter explaining Kokesh’s 2020 campaign platform. Rather than relying solely on conventional political advertising, the strategy focused on direct household distribution, effectively turning the book into both a manifesto and a campaign tool. In this sense, the project blended grassroots outreach, ideological messaging, and donor-driven activism into a single operation.
Kokesh framed his political platform in stark terms. He said that upon taking office, he would be sworn in, go to the White House, and sign one executive order laying out the process for dismantling the federal government. He further said he would resign as president to become what he called the “Custodian of the Federal Government”, while department heads would become custodians responsible for carrying out a largely predetermined plan. Under his description, his remaining authority would be limited to replacing those custodians if they failed to perform their assigned responsibilities or follow the plan.
Campaign fundraising heavily backed by crypto
One of the most notable aspects of the campaign was its reliance on digital assets. While supporters could contribute through Paypal, the fundraising effort was explicitly described as being “fueled by crypto”. For the Book Bomb campaign, Kokesh accepted donations in Bitcoin Cash, Dash, Ethereum, Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Monero. That multi-asset approach reflected a broad embrace of the crypto community rather than dependence on a single network or token.
The use of cryptocurrency was not incidental. It aligned closely with the libertarian political culture surrounding Kokesh’s campaign, where decentralization, skepticism of state power, and support for alternative financial systems often overlap. By opening the fundraiser to several major cryptocurrencies, the campaign positioned itself within a digital-native donor environment and appealed to supporters who preferred borderless, censorship-resistant payment methods over traditional rails.
The operation also received backing from organizations including Steemit, Dash, Bitcoin.com, and the Libertarian Party. That support added credibility and visibility to the effort, particularly among crypto users already active in parallel online communities. The article also disclosed that Bitcoin.com was one of the supporters of the Book Bomb campaign, alongside Dash.org, Steemit.com, and the Libertarian Party.
Transparency and sponsorship tiers
Kokesh said the fundraising process would be fully transparent, with all incoming funds documented on Steemit and other platforms. In a political environment where campaign funding is often scrutinized, that promise of visible accounting was presented as a core part of the initiative. The campaign also stated that any unused funds from the New Orleans operation would be directed toward a similar effort in the next city, suggesting that the Book Bomb was envisioned as a repeatable model rather than a one-off event.
To broaden participation, the fundraiser included multiple sponsorship levels. These included a “Historic Sponsorship” for contributions of $3,000 or more, a “Millennial Sponsorship” priced at $700, and a “Centennial Sponsorship” set at $70. This tiered structure gave supporters options ranging from symbolic participation to high-visibility backing, a common tactic in political fundraising but one that took on a different tone when paired with crypto payments and activist-style distribution.
The fundraising period began immediately and was scheduled to close on March 25, 2018. The compressed timeline underscored the urgency of printing and mailing such a large number of books before the convention window. In practical terms, the campaign was attempting to convert digital enthusiasm and ideological support into a physical media push on a citywide scale.
A political message shaped by personal experience
Kokesh tied the book’s creation to his own experience of incarceration for civil disobedience. He said that while in jail, surrounded by libertarian books sent by friends, he came to believe there was a need for a more concise and accessible “ultimate conversion tool.” He described Freedom! as a readable, roughly 100-page proclamation of liberty that combined what he saw as the strongest features of those earlier works. That origin story helped frame the book not just as a campaign product, but as a distilled ideological statement.
Whether viewed as political theater, serious activism, or an unconventional experiment in voter outreach, the Book Bomb campaign stood out for how it merged cryptocurrency fundraising with offline political distribution. Rather than using crypto merely as a technical payment option, Kokesh integrated it into the identity of the campaign itself. In doing so, he offered an example of how digital asset communities can intersect with issue-based political movements and alternative campaign models.
The broader significance of the effort lies less in its electoral viability and more in its illustration of crypto’s role beyond trading and speculation. This campaign showed how cryptocurrencies could be used in grassroots fundraising, ideological organizing, and publication distribution. Regardless of how one evaluates Kokesh’s platform, the operation highlighted an early and visible use case for crypto in politically charged, real-world mobilization.