Former US President and crypto-friendly Republican candidate Donald Trump made history on Wednesday when he treated his fans to burgers and paid with Bitcoin.
Trump’s visit to the famous Bitcoin bar PubKey made history as he became the first US president to pay with Bitcoin. The Republican candidate visited the bar near New York University in Greenwich Village before a campaign rally at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York.
Trump Pays for and Distributes Crypto Burgers
Of particular note, Trump treated his cheering supporters to cheeseburgers, a food he is known to love. He handed out a dozen burgers to his fans, bringing the bill to $998.70.
Trump then paid for the bar using Strike, a payment application based on the Bitcoin Lightning Network. He scanned and transferred the funds to PubKey’s Zaprite app, drawing applause from those around him.
While serving burgers to the crowd at the bar, President Trump called the dish a “crypto burger.” He further explained that Bitcoin is a work in progress, referring to the trading capacity of the largest cryptocurrency.
PubKey co-founder Thomas Pacchia reacted to the scene, explaining that history was made at the bar. He said that cryptocurrencies are huge and influential for Bitcoin, and praised President Trump’s friendly stance towards cryptocurrencies.
President Trump Reiterates Friendly Gesture Towards Cryptocurrency
The event late Wednesday clearly reflects the Republican candidate’s pro-crypto stance. It follows a string of activities that show his clear embrace of the new technological innovation.
President Trump was also in attendance to launch World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform whose co-founders are aligned with his family. He and his two sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., had been hinting at the project for months before announcing it on Monday.
Trump’s stance on Bitcoin in particular has made him popular among the crypto community. He has also received financial donations to support his plans to become the next President of the United States. Notable figures such as the Winklevoss twins and Ripple CLO Stuart Aldeloti have donated $1 million in Bitcoin and 624,000 XRP, respectively, to support the Trump campaign.