Hold onto your hats, folks! Former President Donald Trump is making waves in the crypto world by shelling out Bitcoin for burgers. That's right, on September 18th, Trump wowed a crowd at a bar in New York by using BTC to pay for everyone's favorite comfort food.
Picture this: Trump strolls into PubKey, a crypto-themed bar in Greenwich Village, and the place erupts with cheers from Bitcoin enthusiasts and his loyal supporters. “Who wants a burger?” he shouts, before dropping nearly a grand on delicious patties for everyone in the house.
PubKey’s co-founder, Drew Armstrong, shared that Trump used the Strike payments app (built on the Lightning Network) to settle the bill, and the bar received the Bitcoin through the Zaprite app. It’s not every day you see a former president using crypto like a pro!
Another co-founder of PubKey, Thomas Pacchia, couldn't contain his excitement, calling Trump’s visit “huge and iconic” for the Bitcoin community. “A former president, a potential future president – this is a milestone moment for Bitcoin,” he said. Fun fact: this marks the first time a former US president has ever used Bitcoin to purchase anything.
While Trump was making history inside, Democrat supporters outside were making noise of their own by blasting Taylor Swift songs in protest. You can't make this stuff up!
Trump’s crypto escapade didn't stop there. He’s on a mission to win over crypto holders and investors – a significant chunk of voters in the US. “Bitcoin is really happening,” he declared to the PubKey crowd. And he's not just talking the talk; he's walking the walk.
On his way to a rally in Long Island, Trump made it clear he’s serious about clinching the state he was born in, a state that’s voted Democrat since 1984. With the election just around the corner, expect Trump to ramp up his crypto love to challenge his Democrat rival, Kamala Harris, who’s been pretty quiet on the crypto front.
By the way, the Trump-themed memecoin, MAGA (TRUMP), got a 6.5% boost, hitting $2.13, though it’s had a rough week, dropping 25% in the past seven days. And let’s not forget, Trump also launched his DeFi project, World Liberty Financial (WLF), in a live X Space event on September 17th.
As it stands, national polls show Harris leading Trump by a slim margin, with FiveThirtyEight putting Harris at 48.5% to Trump’s 45.2%. Polymarket also has Harris slightly ahead. But with Trump’s latest crypto caper, this race is far from over. Stay tuned, crypto fans!
