Coinbase accused of celebrating ‘Shitcoin Pizza Day’ with USDC promo
Bitcoin maxis have branded Coinbase an ‘enemy of Bitcoin’ and accused it of ‘cultural misappropriation’ after the crypto exchange decided to sell pizza with USDC on Bitcoin Pizza Day.
On May 22, Coinbase set up a pizza truck selling slices for $1 worth of USDC. Coinbase said it was “celebrating how far crypto has come since 2010 in helping to create a cheaper, faster system.”
However, some crypto enthusiasts weren’t impressed by the USDC pricing. Users on X (formerly Twitter) claimed the crypto exchange should be ‘ashamed,’ questioned why the truck wouldn’t accept bitcoin, and said Coinbase is behaving like a ‘bad actor.’
One attendee filmed themselves next to the Coinbase truck claiming, “The Bitcoin pizza guys are trying to beef with Coinbase.” One man can then be seen walking by with a sign that reads “It’s Bitcoin Pizza Day not Shitcoin Pizza Day.”
Another passerby can be heard saying, “This is a cultural misappropriation of bitcoin.” Additionally, someone claiming to be a core contributor to BTCPay Server was also pictured behind the Coinbase Pizza truck holding the same ‘Shitcoin Pizza Day’ sign.
Read more: UK watchdog protects Papa John’s pizza lovers from free Bitcoin
However, others were skeptical of the protests, with one user noting, “Bro it’s such a good marketing ploy. No one is organically counter-protesting a Coinbase pizza truck. I’m like 99.9% that this is a publicity stunt.”
Another joked, “Bro said cultural misappropriation lmao bitcoiners are down SO BAD.”
Bitcoin Pizza Day started in 2010 and marks the first-ever ‘real-world’ bitcoin transaction when Laszlo Hanyecz paid someone 10,000 BTC to order two Papa John’s pizzas. That figure would be worth just under $700 million today.
Papa John’s frequently celebrates Bitcoin Pizza Day but was criticized by the UK’s advertising watchdog in 2021 for trivializing crypto investing.
Got a tip? Send us an email or ProtonMail. For more informed news, follow us on X, Instagram, Bluesky, and Google News, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.