coindesk.com
Steak n Shake is offering hourly employees a bitcoin BTC$90,226.42 bonus of $0.21 for every hour worked, the company said Tuesday in a post on X.
The new policy applies to staff at all company-operated locations starting March 1, and rewards will vest after two years.
The bonus — equivalent to roughly 1% of the federal minimum wage — is the fast-food chain’s latest move in a broader embrace of bitcoin that began in May 2025, when it started accepting BTC payments via the Lightning Network at all U.S. locations.
That rollout wasn’t just a marketing play. Company COO Dan Edwards previously said the bitcoin integration cut card processing fees in half while helping attract a younger demographic. Same-store sales jumped by more than 10% in the second quarter of 2025.
Last week, the company announced the addition $10 million worth of bitcoin to its corporate treasury.
The burger chain’s bitcoin push has included branding efforts, such as a bitcoin-themed burger launched in October. Each "Bitcoin Meal" includes a small donation to open-source Bitcoin development.
The bonus system is being run in partnership with Fold (FLD), a bitcoin rewards app. Employees won’t see the crypto immediately — the vesting period means they’ll need to stay on the job for two years before collecting the accumulated BTC. It’s a long-term bet that echoes stock option plans in tech.
A fast-food worker earning 30 hours a week could earn about $327 in BTC annually under the new system, assuming a steady bitcoin price.