Donald Trump spent $998.70 on burgers at PubKey bar, the Bitcoin-themed bar in Manhattan, New York and settled the bill with Bitcoin. This latest incident occurred only two days after Trump publicly promoted a cryptocurrency project known as World Liberty Financial.

The visit was made on Wednesday, with the ex-U.S. president passing through PubKey bar en route to his rally on Long Island. As for Trump, famous for his provocative actions, he is now seeking to establish his position in the digital asset industry. Dressed in his trademark business attire, he walked into PubKey, a bar known by Bitcoin enthusiasts; Trump turned to the audience and asked, “Who wants a burger?” The audience cheered and clapped; Trump bought the meal using Strike, an app developed on the Lightning Network.

Trump’s Growing Ties with Cryptocurrency

According to local media, Donald Trump’s visit to PubKey proves that he is still actively courting the crypto populace. Since 2024, Donald Trump has been publicly endorsing Bitcoin; he attended the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville and stated his intention to establish a national strategic reserve of Bitcoin should he win the presidency again. His active promotion of World Liberty Financial takes his pro-crypto stance a notch higher.

 

PubKey bar co-founder Drew Armstrong said that Trump spent $998.70 on dozens of burgers during the visit. “Bitcoin is really happening,” Trump said during the transaction, as he was optimistic about cryptocurrency as a standard medium of exchange in the future. However, despite Bitcoin’s price swings and its connections to fraud and investing hype, the cryptocurrency has become more widely adopted in 2024.

Trump and Bitcoin have been a groundbreaking development in the U.S. political process, especially given that digital real estate has been a subject of discussion, ranging from economics to regulations.

Why Donald Trump Chose PubKey bar

PubKey bar, which opened in 2022 and is situated just a block away from NYU in Greenwich Village, quickly caught on with the Bitcoin community. The bar often hosts events to raise awareness about Bitcoin among the general public and even has its own altar, Bitcoin. It can be surmised that PubKey was chosen for Trump’s prominent Bitcoin transaction, not by mere coincidence.

Thomas Pacchia, PubKey bar co-founder, described Trump’s visit as “huge” and “iconic” for the Bitcoin community. “A former president and potential future president, this is a real coming of age for the Bitcoin community,” Pacchia stated. He also said Trump’s transaction was probably the first time a U.S. president had publicly used Bitcoin to make a payment.

 

Donald Trump Visits at PubKey BarDonald Trump Visits at PubKey Bar

This statement shows how society is becoming open to accepting cryptocurrencies in daily life, with political leaders like Donald Trump adopting crypto-economy in their campaigns.

Divided Reactions to Trump’s Bitcoin Purchase

Not all New York citizens approved of Trump buying bitcoins as investors reacted to his action. A boisterous crowd of protesters planted signs reading ‘LIAR,’ ‘LOSER,’ ‘THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE,’ and ‘WE CHOSE HER’ when Trump arrived at PubKey accompanied by a group of protesters from various anti-Trump activist organizations in New York City. Jay Walker, a member of Rise and Resist activists, said, “Whenever Trump comes into the city, we try to come and ensure we are the welcoming committee.”

This anti-Trump protest group had already convened, having received reports that Trump would be visiting PubKey bar. Besides signs, people also played Taylor Swift’s music, as she had recently criticized Trump. Despite this, the people inside PubKey were quite enthusiastic. Most customers, a combination of Bitcoin supporters and Trump fans, greeted the former president warmly.

 

Donald Trump Visits at PubKey BarDonald Trump Visits at PubKey Bar

 

Matt Kita, a long-time attendee of PubKey, was impressed that Trump publicly supported Bitcoin, calling it a positive step towards creating a new generation of digital assets. “I do think that there will be people here who will be swayed by a pro-Bitcoin stance,” Kita said. He also mentioned that such a policy that favours cryptocurrencies might attract more startups and professionals in the field to invest.

Final Take on Donald Trump Visits at PubKey Bar

This year, Donald Trump visited PubKey bar and conducted a Bitcoin transaction, which is a great leap in his further interaction with the crypto world. As he goes out on the campaign trail for the presidency, this event presents his effort to woo the Bitcoin community and other crypto enthusiasts into supporting him as the most friendly and favourable president for the future. By paying for burgers with Bitcoin in New York City, Trump has sent a clear message to the public: he couldn’t care less about anything else but the future of cryptocurrencies. Keep following TheBITJournal for Donald Trump’s next move towards cryptocurrency.