Steak ’n Shake is flipping the script on fast food again — this time with crypto on the menu.
The popular 90-year-old burger chain has launched a limited-edition Bitcoin Steakburger, marking five months since it began accepting bitcoin payments across its U.S. and European locations. The move doubles as both a celebration and a statement: Steak ’n Shake is sticking to bitcoin — and only bitcoin.
The company’s experiment with cryptocurrency payments began earlier in the year through the Lightning Network, a system designed to make bitcoin transactions faster and cheaper. The decision drew attention from high-profile supporters like Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, who even shared his own experience paying for a burger with bitcoin.
At the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, Steak ’n Shake executive Dan Edwards revealed that switching to bitcoin has cut payment processing fees by roughly 50% compared to using traditional credit cards. “These savings,” he said, “show what’s possible when merchants actually use bitcoin, not just talk about it.”
That cost reduction isn’t trivial. For a restaurant chain that processes millions of transactions a year, it’s the kind of savings that goes straight to its bottom line.
The move hasn’t been without controversy, though. Earlier this year, Steak ’n Shake briefly considered expanding to Ethereum payments — until die-hard bitcoin supporters pushed back. The backlash was swift, and the company quickly reversed course, reaffirming its bitcoin-only stance.
As for the Bitcoin burger itself, the $6.49 sandwich comes with two steakburger patties topped with two slices of cheese and the bun is stamped with the Bitcoin logo.
Now, the Bitcoin Steakburger serves as both a thank-you to the crypto community and a marketing wink. In a post announcing the release, the brand wrote: “Supplies are limited… just like Bitcoin.”
Source: TheStreet