- Donald Trump became the first US president to pay with Bitcoin
- It happened at the crypto community bar PubKey in NY on Thursday
- Trump demonstrated his commitment to the crypto community by doing so
- And he also reminded of his purposes if he wins the US election 2024
- The co-founders of PubKey called it a historic and symbolic moment
The former president and candidate Donald Trump continues to actively target the crypto community and is looking to take landmark actions regarding it.
He surprised customers at PubKey, a popular crypto bar in NY by paying for his order with Bitcoin.
This made him the first president to make a Bitcoin purchase in history, a very symbolic gesture, with references to America’s Founding Fathers.
The owners and visitors of the bar and Donald Trump himself gave many optimistic comments regarding the fact that the Bitcoin revolutionary movement continues, despite the initial skepticism, and further ups and downs.
Also this evening, Trump commented in his usual way on many hot topics like the need to free Ross Ulbricht, and criticizing SEC policies.
First-Ever Bitcoin Payment from a US President
Trump’s visit to the establishment was both unexpected and metaphorical, and immediately gained many subtexts for his witnesses.
He walked into the bar and asked “Who wants a hamburger?” before pulling out his iPhone and paying for the burgers with Bitcoin, giving him a total of $925.
This got its analogy, as Donald Trump stated:
“History is in the conception. The Founding Fathers had Fraunces Tavern, the Manhattan saloon where George Washington ended a successful war against the British. Trump has PubKey.”
PubKey co-founder Andrew Newman commented:
“This is an important step in the history of Bitcoin. It’s more than a currency, it’s a movement.”
Another co-founder, Thomas Pacchia, commented:
“Almost everyone starts out as a skeptic. But when you do the work and dive into the protocol, you start to understand the really elegant mechanisms of decentralization, how mining works, and how transactions are done. It’s not an easy technology to master. It just takes time.”
All of this later turned into a big show, with merch signing and active reciprocation with other bar-goers. Overall, the whole thing was filled with optimistic and active attitudes and opinions, which also came as a surprise to some.
“Honestly, I’m shocked to see anyone here. I thought all New Yorkers hated him,” said a self-described politically agnostic from the East Village who declined to give his name.
Donald Trump’s Message
Of course, Trump didn’t miss the opportunity to make this a political occasion and hint at his stance, in a maximized atmosphere of slogans like “Make Bitcoin Great Again,” “Central bank digital currencies are enslaving,” and “Free Ross on Day One.”
His main message was:
“Everybody, whether it’s bitcoin or cryptocurrency, get out and vote, because if you vote, we can’t lose.”
He recalled there how he would stop working on the CBDC and create a strategic Bitcoin reserve to make the United States the crypto capital of the world.
Also, he reminded everybody that he’s going to fix the flaws in how tough regulators like the SEC have been acting.
Conclusions
Donald Trump’s visit to PubKey could really be a historic event if of course he can win the election and implement all his initiatives about crypto and Bitcoin in particular.
Let’s keep a close eye on the elections in the coming months and related initiatives. Stay tuned.
