Global Coffee Giant Starbucks Now Accepting Bitcoin in El Salvador

Starbucks expanded its payment services to include Bitcoin in El Salvador on Tuesday, at the same time the country became became the first to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender.

Starbucks expanded its payment services to include Bitcoin in El Salvador on Tuesday, at the same time the country became became the first to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender.

Although the law stipulates that businesses must accept Bitcoin, many were skeptical that large businesses would be able to integrate Bitcoin payment solutions by the time the law went into effect.

To the surprise of many skeptics, Starbucks in El Salvador already can and will accept Bitcoin payments. Videos on Twitter emerged of Bitcoin transactions in San Salvador on Tuesday.

Fast food giant McDonald’s also began accepting Bitcoin payments in El Salvador on Tuesday.

While McDonalds partnered with OpenNode to provide a payment solution in El Salvador, it is not yet clear what software Starbucks has integrated to service Bitcoin lightning payments.

Many Bitcoiners are still wondering whether and to what extent the Bitcoin payment solutions will be used by these giant companies outside of El Salvador. It seems unlikely that they would continue to provide superior payment technology solutions to only El Salvador, while neglecting to offer services that allow for people to pay in Bitcoin back in the United States.

It has yet to be verified whether all other major American companies in El Salvador, such as Nike and Walmart, have also enabled Bitcoin payments.