Steak 'n Shake has found itself at the center of a crypto culture war. This week, the company promptly retracted its plan to accept Ethereum payments , highlighting how tribal tensions continue to affect corporate acceptance of digital assets.

The company began accepting Bitcoin payments in May in the United States, France, Monaco, and Spain. In the third quarter, Steak n' Shake stated that same-store sales grew by 15% year on year, mainly crediting the increase to Bitcoiners.

The chain said, "Much of the credit for this goes to Bitcoiners, who embraced our adoption of Bitcoin", on an X post on Oct 1. The chain also announced a special meal on the menu dedicated to just Bitcoiners.

More news:

Bitcoiners force a reversal

Steak 'n Shake proposed expanding its crypto products by asking its 468,800 X followers if it should include Ether as a payment option. While the results initially supported Ethereum (53% of roughly 49,000 votes answered 'yes'), a backlash from passionate Bitcoin supporters caused the business to halt the poll just hours later.

"Poll suspended. Our allegiance is with Bitcoiners. You have spoken," the chain wrote, cutting off what many thought would include Ethereum.

For many Bitcoiners, even entertaining Ethereum was a red line. "We concur! If they try to accept ETH, we'll create markets for shorting Steak 'n Shake," said a user called PREDYX . For others, the poll soon became a marketing lesson where one user wrote , "how to ruin your brand.'

Soon after, the chain decided to suspend the poll. On X, they wrote , "Our allegiance is with Bitcoiners.”

Ethereum's co-founder steps in

What's interesting is that while Bitcoiners were happy with the decision, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin came to Steak 'n Shake's rescue. Buterin said that instead of trying to appease everyone.

He wrote :

"This is a good decision, and I respect it. Not every business should be trying to appeal to many customers as possible in the name of 'not being maximalist'. We need the stubborn ones who believe in their cause and their tribe and see their work as a labor of love to it."

While many wrote about their disbelief in Ethereum, one user named Greg Marlin wrote , "I respect you respecting it.  But man, Bitcoin sucks for the payments use case vs Ethereum (L1 or especially L2). I feel a little bad knowing these users are missing out on a vastly superior experience."