Bitcoin Community Pushes Back – Vitalik Supports Steak ’n Shake ETH Payment Pause

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently faced significant backlash from the Bitcoin community, leading to a pause in the ETH payment vote at the popular US restaurant chain Steak ’n Shake. The suspension of the vote reflects growing ideological divides between supporters of Ethereum and Bitcoin, particularly on issues of transaction efficiency, fees, and blockchain practicality. This controversy has sparked intense debate across global crypto communities, highlighting the unique challenges crypto merchant adoption faces in 2025.

This article explores the reasons behind the Bitcoin community’s backlash, Vitalik’s response supporting the pause, and the broader implications for Ethereum and Bitcoin payments in real-world applications.

Backlash Sparks ETH Payment Vote Suspension

At 4:46 UTC on October 12, 2025, Wu Blockchain (@wublockchain12) reported that Steak ’n Shake had suspended its in-house vote on accepting Ethereum (ETH) payments. The move came after vocal criticism from Bitcoin maximalists who argued that Bitcoin and its Lightning Network offer superior payment technology.

The Bitcoin community’s key concerns centered on Ethereum’s relatively high fees and slower transaction speeds compared to Bitcoin’s Lightning Network. While Ethereum averages 15-30 transactions per second (TPS) with fees ranging between $3-$10, Bitcoin’s Lightning Network supports sub-second settlement times and fees measured in fractions of a cent.

Since May 16, 2025, Steak ’n Shake has processed over 120,000 BTC transactions using BitPay and the Lightning Network. The Bitcoin maximalist community sees BTC payments as more scalable, cost-effective, and aligned with the goal of widespread merchant adoption.

The backlash gained traction on the social platform X, where Bitcoin supporters pressured Steak ’n Shake to maintain BTC-only payments, effectively halting the ETH acceptance vote. Wu Blockchain’s report is one of many social indicators reflecting how powerful Bitcoin’s community has become in shaping payment strategies in the crypto ecosystem.

Vitalik Buterin’s Support for Vote Pause

Vitalik Buterin publicly supported Steak ’n Shake’s decision to pause the ETH vote, calling it a “principled move.”
He stated: “Not every business needs to find as many customers as possible in the name of being neutral. And we must have individuals who do not betray their cause.”

Vitalik’s response after Bitcoin community backlash ETH payment pause reflects his broader philosophy centered on decentralization and communal alignment rather than marketing popularity. This pragmatism isn’t unprecedented; in 2023, he criticized the hype around token payments, specifically citing Ethereum’s gas fees and limited throughput, which make it less practical as a payment method.

Understanding the broader outlook for Ethereum can provide valuable context to the ongoing discussions about its payment adoption and network capabilities.

Bitcoin vs Ethereum: Real-World Payment Utility

While Bitcoin’s Lightning Network processes millions of micropayments daily with approximately 5,800 active nodes globally (Glassnode, Sept 2025), Ethereum continues to work on scaling solutions to reduce fees and improve TPS rates.

Ethereum’s current price range of $3,500-$4,000 (CoinMarketCap, Oct 2025) and Bitcoin’s $70,000-$80,000 range reflect differing investor expectations and network utility. Ethereum remains popular for smart contracts and DeFi, while Bitcoin focuses on secure, efficient digital cash functionality.

The Steak ’n Shake episode underscores real challenges merchants face when integrating cryptocurrency payments, balancing technological capabilities with community sentiment and brand strategy.