He Tried Using Crypto to Buy McDonald’s—Here’s What Actually Happened
It was early 2025 when Alex, a crypto enthusiast and part-time travel blogger, decided to challenge the norm: Could he survive on crypto alone while traveling—and more specifically, could he use crypto to buy McDonald’s wherever he went?
It wasn’t about luxury. It was about simplicity. “If I can walk into a McDonald’s in a random city and grab a burger with Bitcoin,” he joked to his readers, “we’ve arrived.”
Turns out… we’ve kinda arrived—but not all the way.
First Stop: El Salvador—A Surprise Success
Alex’s journey began in El Salvador, the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Here, the experiment went off without a hitch.
He walked into a McDonald’s in San Salvador, pulled up his Lightning wallet, and within seconds, his transaction went through. “It felt futuristic,” he said in a video clip, munching fries. “No bank, no card, no cash. Just my phone.”
For a moment, it seemed like using crypto to buy McDonald’s was more than just a gimmick—it was functional.
Reality Hits Back in North America
But then Alex flew to Miami. There, the excitement fizzled. The cashier gave him a puzzled look when he asked if they accepted Bitcoin. “Crypto? Not here, man,” she said with a chuckle.
Undeterred, Alex turned to one of his backup plans: a crypto debit card from Crypto.com. It worked like a charm. He loaded it with ETH, paid at the counter like any regular Visa card, and boom—lunch served.
“Technically,” he told his followers, “I still used crypto. Just… not directly.”
He also tested gift card platforms like Bitrefill. Bought a McDonald’s card using BTC, scanned the QR code, and called it another win. “Roundabout? Sure. But it works.”
Crypto to buy McDonald’s: Crypto Payments Aren’t the Norm—Yet
Alex quickly learned that while it’s possible to use crypto to buy McDonald’s, it’s far from mainstream. Outside of a few places like El Salvador or parts of Switzerland, direct acceptance is rare.
Why? According to experts he spoke with along the way, a few things hold it back:
- Volatility: “No one wants to price a Big Mac in Bitcoin when it could drop 5% by dinner.”
- Tech Infrastructure: Most McDonald’s POS systems just aren’t built for blockchain payments.
- Regulatory Uncertainty: Depending on the country, crypto is either unregulated, overregulated, or just plain misunderstood.
For a global brand like McDonald’s, it makes sense to move cautiously. “One misstep and the headlines write themselves,” Alex said. “They’d rather play it safe.”
Crypto to buy McDonald’s: What the Future Might Look Like
Still, Alex left the experience optimistic. With more young people embracing crypto, and with tech evolving fast, he believes it’s only a matter of time.
“Picture this,” he mused in one blog post. “You’re on the McApp, adding a McChicken to your cart, and the ‘Pay with Crypto’ button is right there under Apple Pay. Feels like it could happen, right?”
Maybe not this year. Maybe not even next. But someday? Definitely possible.
Final Thoughts: Crypto to Buy McDonald’s—A Work in Progress
After traveling through five countries in three weeks, Alex came to a clear conclusion: yes, you can use crypto to buy McDonald’s—but only if you’re willing to be creative.
Between crypto debit cards, gift vouchers, and the occasional forward-thinking franchise, there are ways to make it happen. Just don’t expect a universal, tap-and-pay experience everywhere you go.
For now, it’s a quirky experiment. A glimpse into the future, maybe. But as Alex wrapped up his journey, he said it best:
“Crypto might not be fully at the drive-thru window yet—but it’s definitely pulling into the parking lot.”
Relevant News: HERE
