Steak ‘n Shake, the 90-year-old fast-food chain, has canceled plans to accept Ether payments following intense criticism from its loyal Bitcoin (BTC) customer base.
The company, which has seen a 15% sales boost since adopting Bitcoin payments in May, ran a poll on X (formerly Twitter) asking its followers if it should expand to include Ether. Although 53% of the nearly 49,000 voters were in favor, Steak ‘n Shake abruptly halted the poll just four hours later, declaring “Our allegiance is with Bitcoiners. You have spoken.”
This quick retreat was spurred by a strong backlash from prominent Bitcoin purists who condemned the mere consideration of a “second-best crypto asset.” Some Bitcoin loyalists even threatened to boycott the restaurant.
The incident underscores the deeply entrenched “tribal divide” within the crypto community, where many Bitcoin advocates continue to insist that BTC is the only true form of digital money.
Interestingly, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin commented on the situation, suggesting that crypto-adopting businesses should commit to a single community rather than trying to appeal to all of them.
In a move to double down on its commitment, Steak ‘n Shake announced plans to launch a “Bitcoin Steakburger” on October 16. The controversy also highlights the broader trend of payments companies, like Mesh and Stripe, continuing to expand their services into the digital asset space.
October 2025, Cryptoniteuae
