Fast-food chains in El Salvador begin accepting Bitcoin as payment

McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Starbucks restaurant chains in El Salvador have begun accepting the first cryptocurrency as payment following the entry into force of the law legalizing Bitcoin.

“I just walked into a McDonald’s in San Salvador to see if I could pay for breakfast in Bitcoin. Honestly, I expected to be refused,” wrote journalist Aaron van Wirdum.

Just walked into a McDonald’s in San Salvador to see if I could pay for my breakfast with bitcoin, tbh fully expecting to be told no.

But low and behold, they printed a ticket with QR that took me to a webpage with Lightning invoice, and now I’m enjoying my desayuno traditional! pic.twitter.com/NYCkMNbv7U

— Aaron van Wirdum (@AaronvanW) September 7, 2021

He said that staff printed a QR code that led to the Lightning Network payment page. The journalist also attached photographs of the breakfast after a successful payment.

The government released a short video demonstrating the ability to pay in Bitcoin and in other establishments around the country.

From today, many businesses in our country have begun implementing the #Bitcoin as a new payment option for Salvadorans. #BitcoinDay 🇸🇻 pic.twitter.com/M0urBB5j2b

— Secretaría de Comunicaciones 🇸🇻 (@ComunicacionSV) September 7, 2021

Earlier, on September 7, El Salvador acquired 550 BTC for the government fund to support the exchange between Bitcoin and US dollars.

In July, the poll showed that only 20% of citizens approved the president’s initiative to recognise the first cryptocurrency as legal tender. According to another September survey, 70% of respondents opposed Bitcoin.

In August, residents of El Salvador took to the streets against the legalization of digital gold. The demonstrators voiced concerns about potential increases in corruption through the use of cryptocurrencies and called for scrapping the obligation to accept Bitcoin as payment.

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