THE WORLD’S BIGGEST BITCOIN COMPANY WILL SELL YOU $250 BITCOIN SNEAKERS — JUST NOT FOR BITCOIN
You can buy the bitcoin sneakers. You just can’t buy them with bitcoin.
Strategy’s online store put out custom sneakers this week — bitcoin-themed high-tops on the Air Jordan and Dunk silhouettes, about $250 a pair. They sold out. Then the whole timeline caught the punchline: the store takes credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. It does not take bitcoin.
The largest bitcoin treasury company in the world, selling bitcoin merch for dollars only. “Sometimes the memes write themselves,” one account posted. Another: “Is bitcoin worthless until people accept it as payment?”
It lands the same day Strategy said it bought no bitcoin and instead fired $176 million at its own preferred stock. The contrast with a place like Steak ’n Shake is the tell — the burger chain takes bitcoin for a milkshake and moves it onto its balance sheet. Strategy takes dollars for a shoe.
The Capitalist read is not a dunk on Strategy. It is the quiet thing under the joke: to a treasury company, bitcoin is an asset to accumulate, not money to spend. That is a different bet than the one on the sign out front.
The sign, of course, says fiat only.
The largest bitcoin treasury company in the world, selling bitcoin merch for dollars only. “Sometimes the memes write themselves,” one account posted. Another: “Is bitcoin worthless until people accept it as payment?”
It lands the same day Strategy said it bought no bitcoin and instead fired $176 million at its own preferred stock. The contrast with a place like Steak ’n Shake is the tell — the burger chain takes bitcoin for a milkshake and moves it onto its balance sheet. Strategy takes dollars for a shoe.
The Capitalist read is not a dunk on Strategy. It is the quiet thing under the joke: to a treasury company, bitcoin is an asset to accumulate, not money to spend. That is a different bet than the one on the sign out front.
The sign, of course, says fiat only.
KEY RECEIPTS
Strategy’s online store sells custom bitcoin-themed sneakers on the Air Jordan / Dunk silhouettes — custom-branded and Nike-inspired, NOT an official Nike collaboration — about $250 a pair, currently sold out. (Bitcoin.com News, Jamie Redman, Sep 8.)
Store payment methods: credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay. Bitcoin is not offered.
Same day: Strategy reported buying no bitcoin Aug 31–Sep 7 and repurchasing $176M of STRC preferred (our coverage, Sep 8).
Foil: Steak ’n Shake accepts BTC for food and routes it to its bitcoin reserve.
Not claimed: any official Nike partnership.
Store payment methods: credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay. Bitcoin is not offered.
Same day: Strategy reported buying no bitcoin Aug 31–Sep 7 and repurchasing $176M of STRC preferred (our coverage, Sep 8).
Foil: Steak ’n Shake accepts BTC for food and routes it to its bitcoin reserve.
Not claimed: any official Nike partnership.
SELLS THE BITCOIN SNEAKERS. WON’T TAKE THE BITCOIN.
Bitcoin.com News (Jamie Redman) · Tue Sep 8 · + Strategy online store
Terms in this story: STRC