Trump buys burgers with Bitcoin at NYC bar, courts crypto supporters

Donald Trump made a notable appearance at PubKey, a Bitcoin-themed bar in New York’s Greenwich Village, on Wednesday, offering burgers to supporters and paying with Bitcoin.

The visit is part of his ongoing efforts to engage the digital-asset community as he campaigns for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Upon arrival, Trump was met with a mix of boos and cheers from a crowd of Bitcoin enthusiasts and his political supporters. Inside the bar, he spent $998.70 on several dozen burgers, using the Strike app, which operates on the Lightning Network, to complete the transaction.

Diet Cokes were offered for free.

“Bitcoin is really happening,” Trump said, as he interacted with patrons.

Trump’s appearance at the bar follows other recent moves to appeal to cryptocurrency holders.

In July, he delivered the keynote address at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, where he pledged to appoint crypto-friendly regulators and establish a national Bitcoin stockpile if re-elected. Earlier this week, he also promoted World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance crypto project he and his sons are backing.

PubKey co-founder Thomas Pacchia hailed Trump’s visit as significant for the Bitcoin community, marking what he believes to be the first instance of a former president using Bitcoin for a public transaction.

While some attendees welcomed Trump's embrace of cryptocurrency, his appearance drew protests outside the bar.

A few dozen demonstrators held signs accusing him of fraud and played music by pop star Taylor Swift, who has become a vocal critic of the former president.

Despite the mixed reception, Trump’s efforts to gain support from the cryptocurrency sector highlight his focus on tapping into a growing and increasingly mainstream financial community.