Jesse Coghlan7 hours agoPro-Bitcoin Javier Milei trails as Argentina’s presidential election goes to run-offAnti-establishment Javier Milei was the touted favorite in Argentina’s presidential election but is trailing in second place with 90% of the vote counted.3508 Total views50 Total sharesListen to article 0:00NewsJoin us on social networksPro-Bitcoin (BTC) presidential candidate Javier Milei failed to secure victory in the first round of the Argentine presidential election and is now set to face off against economy minister Sergio Massa in a Nov. 19 run-off vote.

On Oct. 23, election results provided by Bloomberg showed that, with 90% of votes counted, Massa was in the lead with over 36% support, while Milei trailed with just over 30% of the vote.

The presidential hopefuls needed 45% of votes or 40% with a lead of 10 percentage points to win the presidency outright.Argentina-wide results as of Oct. 23, 1:00 am UTC, with over 90% of the vote counted. Source: Bloomberg

The result could be seen as unexpected as Milei won the most votes in the country’s primary presidential election in August, capturing around 30% of the vote, initially putting him as the presidential frontrunner.

Milei, who calls himself an anarcho-capitalist, has rallied to slash the size of the government and abolish Argentina’s central bank, claiming it’s a scam. He also plans to ditch the Argentine peso for the United States dollar, mirroring the Bitcoin-friendly El Salvador.

Milei’s Liberty Advances (La Libertad Avanza) coalition has been described as anywhere between libertarian and far-right populist.

Related:Bitcoin soars in Argentina as Javier Milei wins presidential primary

Milei has also called Bitcoin a reaction against “central bank scammers” and claimed fiat currency allows politicians to scam Argentines with inflation.

On the other hand, Massa has pledged to launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC) if elected to “solve” Argentina’s long-lasting inflation crisis and has squashed the idea of adopting the dollar.

The vote comes amid 40% of Argentines facing poverty and tiring of the country’s mounting debt crisis. Annual inflation is also closing in on 140%.

Argentines will again head to the polls on Nov. 19. The candidate with the most votes will win the presidency for a four-year term.

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