This 'Bitcoin Bar' In New York Is Struggling To Accept BTC Payments

Walking down a quiet street in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, you can almost miss it if you're not looking closely—PubKey, the Bitcoin-themed bar that's become a haven for crypto enthusiasts.

It was about a month ago that I first stepped into this unique watering hole, and I remember being struck by the irony that a place dedicated to cryptocurrency didn't actually take crypto as payment. Cash or card only. Well, that’s New York for you.

Museum Of Crypto Culture

The brainchild of a former Fidelity blockchain executive, this cozy spot has comfort food whipped up by a Michelin-trained chef, and the décor? Well, the pitcures speak for themselves.

It’s a museum of crypto culture.

Last year was a rough one for the crypto world—prices taking nosedives and Bitcoin falling by a 60%—making PubKey also a refuge where investors come to lick their wounds.

"I like drinking and I like Bitcoin,” said one of the people I spoke to.

There was a communal sense of camaraderie, knowing that everyone there had likely felt the sting of the market's wrath.

Dark Side Of Bitcoin

Looking around, I saw Russian-doll nests depicting the key players in some of the industry’s most infamous scandals.

PubKey doesn't shy away from the darker chapters of crypto—instead, it lays them out, Matryoshka dolls with the faces of figures from FTX, Three Arrows Capital, Celsius, and Terraform Labs, all wrapped in controversy and collapse.

I was intrigued by the dynamic of the place—a bar themed after Bitcoin, grapples with the complexities of accepting that very currency as payment.

It's not just about infrastructure but it's about matching a philosophy with practice. After talking to the owner, I got the sense that PubKey was just biding its time until everything clicks into place for Bitcoin transactions.

My time at PubKey felt like more than just a night out. It was an experience, a crash course in the culture of a community still in its nascent stages, but already so rich and storied.

Taking one last glance back at the warmly lit window of the bar, I knew I’d be back, if only to see how the story—and the menu—unfolded.