Donald Trump Becomes First Former US President to Use Bitcoin in NYC Restaurant

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has become the first former US president to use Bitcoin in a New York City bar and restaurant known for accepting the cryptocurrency.

On September 18, Trump reportedly purchased hamburgers using Bitcoin at Pubkey, an NYC establishment, during a campaign event, according to a post by Pubkey on X.

Alongside Trump, other notable figures, including BTC advocate and Professional Capital Management CEO Anthony Pompliano, also attended the event.

Trump Buys Burger for Attendees

Videos shared on X show Trump buying at least a dozen hamburgers. He distributed them to attendees, referring to them as “crypto burgers.”

Former President Donald Trump uses Bitcoin to buy burgers at @PUBKEY_NYC.pic.twitter.com/1Nw9rwRWJX

— THE COIN (@thecoinlive) September 18, 2024

The appearance comes shortly after Trump announced the launch of a token through the World Liberty Financial crypto platform, managed by his family members.

Notably, World Liberty Financial will be a crypto banking ecosystem where users can borrow, lend, and invest in cryptocurrencies.

The project will sell a non-transferable governance token called WLFI and plans to limit participation to accredited investors.

The token structure will see 20% of the tokens reserved for the founding team, 17% set aside for user rewards, and the remaining 63% available to the public.

Despite previously labeling Bitcoin a “scam” and describing cryptocurrencies as “based on thin air,” the former president has shifted his tone.

His 2024 campaign has shown support for Bitcoin miners and included an appearance at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville.

Trump’s involvement with Bitcoin is notable given that he reportedly holds at least $1 million in cryptocurrency assets.

His use of Bitcoin at the event marks a significant moment, especially considering that another former president, Bill Clinton, has also held Bitcoin since it was given to him at a 2016 event.

Harris Avoids Crypto

In contrast to Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris has not made cryptocurrency a focal point of her campaign.

However, Future Forward, a political action committee supporting the Democratic candidate, does accept cryptocurrency donations, indicating a nuanced approach to digital assets within the party.

Just recently, investment Bank Standard Chartered analyst Geoff Kendrick said Bitcoin is expected to end the year at new all-time highs regardless of who wins the US election.

Kendrick suggested that Bitcoin could reach new all-time highs by the end of 2024 due to “positive drivers dominating regardless of the election outcome.”

“I think Bitcoin ends the year higher, at new all-time highs, no matter who wins the U.S. election, with a Trump win taking it to $125,000 and $75,000 if it’s Harris.”

It is worth noting that Harris’ chances of winning the upcoming U.S. presidential election surged on Polymarket following her debate with Trump last week.

As of now, Harris’ chance of winning the upcoming election stands at 52%, ahead of Trump at 46%.

The surge came after the recent debate, which touched on key national issues such as the war in Gaza and abortion rights.

Following the event, 94% of bettors on Polymarket believed Harris won the debate.