--- title: "Steak ‘n Shake Announces Pitiful “Bitcoin Bonus” for Workers" description: "The fast food corporation has announced a paltry Bitcoin bonus which employees have to wait two years to collect." date: "2026-01-22" modified: "2026-01-22" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/steak-n-shake-bitcoin" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Cryptocurrency" - "Future Society" --- # Steak ‘n Shake Announces Pitiful “Bitcoin Bonus” for Workers ![The fast food corporation has announced a paltry Bitcoin bonus which employees have to wait two years to collect.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Getty Images* Still think burger flipping is a low-wage job? Think again. The Indianapolis-based fast food chain Steak 'n Shake recently announced a new "Bitcoin bonus" for hourly wage earners. According to an announcement [on X-formerly-Twitter](), "all hourly employees" at corporate locations will receive $0.21 in Bitcoin per hour. "We take care of our employees; they, in turn, take care of customers; and the results take care of themselves," the company declared. Of course, there's a catch. As the announcement reads, "employees will be able to collect their Bitcoin pay after a two-year vesting period," meaning workers will have to stay with the company for two full years before they can actually access their "bonus." Vesting periods are typical in corporate compensation models, where employees can be payed in part through [stock options](), [RSUs](), or [401(k) contributions](). But they're pretty much unheard of for fry cooks, as is the idea of a bonus paid out through crypto. The magnitude of the bonus is also rather meager. Assuming there are 2,080 working hours in the year, and that the purchasing power of $0.21 in Bitcoin [doesn't collapse](), workers can look forward to collecting the equivalent of a whopping $873.60 after two years — minus fees to convert it back into USD or drugs, whichever they might choose. It's also worth noting that workers at franchise locations will be ineligible for the paltry bonus. As of June 2025, there roughly 60 percent of all Steak 'n Shake restaurants were franchised, [according to food-industry publication *Tasting Table*](). It could also be used to excuse stagnating wages as the cost of living soars. We reached out to Steak 'n Shake to see whether the Bitcoin bonus was taking the place of other compensation bumps, like cost-of-living wage increases or annual bonuses in US dollars. The announcement comes a day after the [fast-food corporation revealed]() it was holding $10 million worth of the cryptocurrency in its "strategic bitcoin reserve." Eight months ago, Steak 'n Shake began [accepting Bitcoin]() as payment for its deep fried slop — another odd choice among fast food companies, but certainly one in keeping with its [increasingly libertarian ethos](). **More on crypto:** [*Bitcoin Crashing Is Actually Awesome News for Regular People, Economist Says*]() ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()