Trump Becomes First President to Use Bitcoin Publicly, Buys Burgers for Fans
Vijay Gir19 Sept 20242 min read
Former President Donald Trump made an unexpected stop at Pubkey Bar ahead of his Long Island rally, a few hours ago, to buy Burgers for his fans. Pubkey is a bitcoin themed bar in Greenwich Village, New York. It became a witness of a unique moment when Trump paid for burgers using Bitcoin. This was the first time he used cryptocurrency publically. The crowd cheered as Trump called the silver foiled burgers as “Crypto Burgers.”
Trump’s Crypto Transformation
This isn’t the same Trump who once called Bitcoin a “scam” and claimed it was based on “thin air.” His stance on cryptocurrency has evolved dramatically. Since May, Trump’s campaign has accepted Bitcoin donations, and he’s openly embraced the crypto community. His goal? To make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world.”
During the event, Trump spent around $1,000 on burgers using the Lightning Network, a system designed to make Bitcoin transactions faster. The burgers, dubbed “crypto burgers,” were handed out to cheering supporters and crypto enthusiasts alike.
Building a Crypto Friendly Campaign
Trump appeared at the Pubkey bar not just to make headlines, it’s a part of a larger strategy. What can it possibly be? What can he possibly get by distributing burgers to fans? Well the strategy is to win over crypto voters and enthusiasts. The Republican nominee has been pushing for a crypto friendly nation. He believes this will help to grow the economy and attract innovation. At the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Trump promised to appoint crypto-supporting regulators.
World Liberty Financial, co-founded by Trump’s sons, will issue a governance token called WLFI, further boosting Trump’s crypto appeal. Many see his presence in the crypto world as a calculated move to attract new voters and a genuine effort to push Bitcoin into the mainstream
Crypto’s New Champion?
Trump became the first President to publicly use cryptocurrency. This sends out a message that he indeed supports crypto and that sparked discussion about the future of cryptocurrency. While his supporters welcomed the move, it also raised questions about whether Bitcoin’s mainstream acceptance could be accelerated like this.
The co-owner of Pubkey, Thomas Pacchia called this an important event for Bitcoin. According to him, this is a “coming of age for the Bitcoin community”. No other leader has ever used crypto in front of the public. This moment is a huge step towards legitimizing the crypto sector and can potentially influence both voters and regulators.
The Road Ahead for Trump and Crypto
Trump clearly knows how to send a message to everyone. Stopping at a Bitcoin themed bar, buying burgers with Bitcoin and distributing them to people calling them “Crypto burgers”, clearly shows he wants crypto use in the mainstream. While no one has any doubt about his pro-crypto stance, there are many questions about how his policies will play out. He made a bold move, will this bring voters to his side, only time will tell.
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