Donald Trump made a gesture to the crypto community on September 18, buying burgers for supporters and paying with Bitcoin (BTC).
Trump's arrival at the Bitcoin-themed PubKey bar in New York was met with mixed reactions: a handful of protesters outside the bar greeted him with jeers, while inside, Bitcoin enthusiasts and Trump supporters welcomed him with applause.
"Who wants a burger?" he asked as he entered the bar, treating visitors to a free meal, as reported by Bloomberg.
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PubKey is a popular spot for Bitcoin enthusiasts, regularly hosting events to educate people about the cryptocurrency and featuring a "shrine" dedicated to it.
According to the bar's co-founder Drew Armstrong, Trump spent nearly $999 on burgers, paying via a payments app called Strike, which runs on the Lightning Network. Thomas Pacchia, another co-founder of PubKey, remarked that this could be the first time a former president made a purchase with Bitcoin. He commented:
A former president, a potential future president, this is a real coming of age for the Bitcoin community.
However, not everyone was thrilled with Trump's appearance. A group of protesters stood outside the venue holding signs with phrases like "CONVICTED OF FRAUD" and blasting songs by Taylor Swift, an artist who has recently been vocal in her opposition to Trump.
This visit to the bar comes as part of Trump's broader effort to gain support from the crypto community. He previously spoke at the Bitcoin conference, where he promised to appoint pro-crypto regulators and suggested creating a national Bitcoin reserve if re-elected. Trump is also launching a DeFi platform called World Liberty Financial aimed at challenging traditional banks.
Whether this will help Trump's political campaign remains to be seen, but his embrace of Bitcoin certainly positions him as a unique figure in the 2024 race.
