Donald Trump walked into a Bitcoin-themed bar in Manhattan and bought burgers with Bitcoin. That sentence would have sounded like a fever dream five years ago. It happened at PubKey, a bar in New York City dedicated to Bitcoin culture, where Trump scanned a QR code, completed the transaction, and reportedly bought burgers and beers for patrons at the establishment.
The purchase was recorded on the blockchain at block height 861871. It marks the first publicly documented Bitcoin transaction by a US president, sitting or former, turning what could have been a forgettable campaign stop into a genuinely novel moment in both political and crypto history.
What actually happened at PubKey
The transaction took place on September 18, 2024, at PubKey bar in New York City, ahead of a campaign rally Trump was holding in Long Island. With assistance from bar staff, Trump scanned a QR code to complete the Bitcoin payment for the food and drinks.
His review of the experience was characteristically brief. “Very easy,” Trump said after completing the purchase.
