| To most people in New York City, it was just a normal Wednesday afternoon. But for those gathered at a Bitcoin-themed bar in Greenwich Village, it was a moment worthy of the history books when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made his entrance. Trump visited PubKey near New York University, where his youngest son Barron is studying, with one simple goal: buy a few dozen smash burgers and pay the tab with the original cryptocurrency. However, what should have been a straightforward transaction turned into a nearly one-minute ordeal. As Trump struggled to scan the bar's payment QR code, someone next to him ultimately grabbed his phone and completed the transaction, as captured in a Fox News livestream. The use of Bitcoin as a means of payment in New York remains rare. And despite efforts from crypto companies including Coinbase to encourage more businesses to accept cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin transactions can still be cumbersome. Critics, even within the Bitcoin community, argue that these types of payments are slow and costly compared with traditional payment systems. Bitcoin payments are "not nearly as easy yet as tap-and-pay," said Noelle Acheson, author of the Crypto Is Macro Now newsletter. "And until it's that easy, most will prefer traditional rails." Even when my colleague and I visited PubKey not long after it opened two years ago during the depths of crypto winter, Thomas Pacchia, the co-owner, told us that accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment would add an "extra layer of complexity." Of course, in certain use cases, Bitcoin and crypto have actually become the preferred method of payment: Hackers love it. Yet the debate over whether Bitcoin should serve as a means of payment for less-scandalous transactions persists among its advocates. While Bitcoin was originally designed as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system, many now view it more as "digital gold" -- a store of value to hedge against macroeconomic risks. For others, particularly speculators, Bitcoin is simply another asset in the high-risk, potentially high-reward category of assets. "Most BTC holders would rather hold than spend, when they can instead spend a depreciating currency," said Acheson. Still, for the Bitcoin enthusiasts at PubKey and around the globe, Trump's Bitcoin transaction was a reason to celebrate. "A former president, a potential future president, this is a real coming of age for the Bitcoin community," said Pacchia. | 
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