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21 Jan 2026, 18:40

Bitcoin Bonus: Steak ‘n Shake’s Revolutionary Strategy to Retain Hourly Workers

BitcoinWorld Bitcoin Bonus: Steak ‘n Shake’s Revolutionary Strategy to Retain Hourly Workers In a bold move blending traditional fast-food operations with digital asset innovation, the U.S. chain Steak ‘n Shake announced a groundbreaking Bitcoin bonus program for its hourly workforce on March 1, 2025. This initiative, first reported by Cointelegraph, directly targets long-term employee retention by offering cryptocurrency rewards accrued through hours worked. The program represents a significant shift in how service-industry compensation is structured, potentially setting a new precedent for the broader labor market. Furthermore, it highlights the growing institutional acceptance of Bitcoin as a legitimate component of financial incentives. Steak ‘n Shake Bitcoin Bonus Program Mechanics The Bitcoin bonus structure is both simple and strategic. Starting March 1, eligible hourly employees at company-owned locations begin accruing Bitcoin worth $0.21 for every hour they work. Crucially, this digital currency reward is not distributed immediately. Instead, employees receive the accumulated Bitcoin as a lump sum only after completing two or more years of continuous service with the company. This vesting period is a core component of the program’s design. Steak ‘n Shake has partnered with Bitcoin rewards and payments company Fold to facilitate the program. Fold will handle the technical backend, including Bitcoin acquisition, secure storage, and eventual distribution to employees. The program currently applies solely to workers at corporate-owned stores, excluding franchise locations for now. This distinction is common when piloting new corporate initiatives. The company has stated its primary goals are to encourage long-term employment and improve retention, particularly among its younger demographic, who show increasing interest in cryptocurrency. Accrual Rate: $0.21 worth of Bitcoin per hour worked. Vesting Period: Minimum 2 years of continuous service. Distribution: Lump-sum payment in Bitcoin after vesting. Partner: Fold, a specialized Bitcoin rewards platform. Scope: Initially for hourly workers at company-owned stores only. Context and Impact on the Fast-Food Labor Market The fast-food industry has faced persistent challenges with high turnover rates, often exceeding 100% annually. Consequently, companies continuously experiment with new incentives beyond traditional wage increases. Steak ‘n Shake’s cryptocurrency payroll experiment enters a competitive landscape where chains offer signing bonuses, tuition assistance, and flexible scheduling. However, a Bitcoin-based loyalty reward is unprecedented at this scale within the sector. This move arrives amid a broader trend of financial technology integration into everyday commerce. For instance, several fintech apps already allow users to convert spare change or cashback into Bitcoin. Steak ‘n Shake’s program institutionalizes this concept directly within an employment contract. The potential impact is twofold. Primarily, it could create a powerful retention tool by tying a novel, potentially appreciating asset to tenure. Additionally, it introduces a segment of the workforce, often new to investing, to digital asset ownership and basic financial concepts like long-term saving and market volatility. Expert Analysis on Corporate Crypto Adoption Financial analysts and labor economists are closely watching this development. Many experts view it as a high-profile test case for cryptocurrency as employee compensation . “This isn’t just about paying wages in Bitcoin,” notes a labor market analyst from a major university. “It’s a structured, long-term bonus program that uses Bitcoin as the vehicle for savings and reward. The psychological appeal for a generation familiar with digital assets could be significant, even if the immediate monetary value per hour seems modest.” The program also raises practical considerations. For example, the value of the bonus will fluctuate with Bitcoin’s market price. An employee’s $0.21 per hour accrual could be worth more or less in U.S. dollar terms upon vesting. This introduces an element of investment risk and reward not typically found in standard bonus structures. Steak ‘n Shake and Fold will likely need to provide educational resources to help employees understand this dynamic. The initiative’s success will depend heavily on clear communication and employee financial literacy support. Comparison of Employee Retention Incentives in Fast Food (2025) Incentive Type Example Companies Typical Vesting Period Key Employee Appeal Signing Bonus Chipotle, McDonald’s Immediate to 90 days Immediate cash reward Tuition Assistance Starbucks, Taco Bell Ongoing per semester Long-term career investment Stock Grants Publicly traded chains 3-5 years Ownership in company success Bitcoin Bonus Steak ‘n Shake 2+ years Exposure to digital asset growth The Role of Technology Partners and Future Scalability The partnership with Fold is critical to the program’s operational feasibility. Fold provides the necessary infrastructure to automate Bitcoin purchases, ensure secure custody, and manage compliance. This model lowers the barrier to entry for a traditional company like Steak ‘n Shake to venture into crypto-based rewards . If successful, this template could be licensed or replicated by other businesses across retail, hospitality, and other high-turnover industries. Looking ahead, scalability questions remain. Will the program expand to franchise locations? Could the accrual rate increase or include performance multipliers? Might other cryptocurrencies be added? The answers will depend on initial participation rates, retention data, and Bitcoin’s price stability. Nevertheless, the mere launch of this program signals a maturation in how blockchain technology intersects with human resources. It moves the conversation from speculative investment to a practical tool for solving a real-world business problem: keeping valuable employees. Conclusion Steak ‘n Shake’s Bitcoin bonus program is a pioneering experiment at the intersection of labor economics and digital currency. By offering hourly workers a vested interest in Bitcoin, the company aims to foster loyalty and improve retention in a challenging market. This initiative provides a tangible case study on the integration of cryptocurrency into mainstream payroll and benefits systems. While its long-term success will depend on employee uptake, market conditions, and educational support, it undeniably marks a significant moment. The fast-food industry, often a bellwether for broader employment trends, may have just introduced a novel template for the future of worker incentives. FAQs Q1: How much Bitcoin can a Steak ‘n Shake employee actually earn? Assuming a full-time schedule of 40 hours per week, an employee would accrue about $8.40 worth of Bitcoin weekly, or roughly $436.80 annually. After two years, the lump-sum bonus would be approximately $873.60 worth of Bitcoin, though its exact dollar value will depend on Bitcoin’s price at the time of distribution. Q2: Is this program replacing any existing benefits or wages? According to the announcement, the Bitcoin bonus is an additional incentive, not a replacement for hourly wages, existing bonuses, or other benefits. It is designed to supplement standard compensation to encourage longer tenure. Q3: What happens if Bitcoin’s price falls before the bonus is paid? The value of the accrued bonus in U.S. dollar terms will fluctuate with the market. Employees bear the market risk and potential reward. This is a key difference from a traditional cash bonus and underscores the importance of understanding the asset’s volatility. Q4: Are franchise Steak ‘n Shake employees eligible? No, the program initially applies only to hourly workers at company-owned stores. Franchise owners operate independently and would need to opt into the program separately. Q5: How does Fold ensure the security of the Bitcoin before it’s paid out? Fold, as a specialized Bitcoin financial services company, uses institutional-grade custody solutions. These typically involve a combination of secure, insured cold storage and multi-signature wallets to protect the assets until they are distributed to employees after the vesting period. This post Bitcoin Bonus: Steak ‘n Shake’s Revolutionary Strategy to Retain Hourly Workers first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

21 Jan 2026, 18:32

Bitcoin Reclaims $90K After Trump’s Davos Speech, but Gains Quickly Evaporate

Bitcoin briefly surged back above $90,000 on Jan. 21 after President Donald Trump eased tensions over Greenland. The rally, however, was short-lived; bitcoin retreated to $87,200, triggering $210 million in liquidations in four hours. Greenland De-escalation Fuels a Sharp Recovery Bitcoin ( BTC) staged a high-stakes recovery on the afternoon of Jan. 21, briefly reclaiming

21 Jan 2026, 18:30

Bitcoin ETF Outflows Trigger Alarming Plunge: $490M Exit Wipes 2026 Gains

BitcoinWorld Bitcoin ETF Outflows Trigger Alarming Plunge: $490M Exit Wipes 2026 Gains Global cryptocurrency markets witnessed a significant correction on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as Bitcoin’s price tumbled to approximately $87,000, decisively erasing its year-to-date gains for 2026. This sharp decline coincided with nearly $490 million in net outflows from U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in a single trading session, according to data aggregated by Walter Bloomberg. The sudden shift highlights the fragile interplay between institutional investment vehicles and underlying asset volatility. Bitcoin ETF Outflows and the $87,000 Breakdown The reported net outflows of $490 million represent one of the largest single-day withdrawals since the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States. Consequently, this substantial capital movement directly pressured Bitcoin’s market price. Market analysts immediately linked the sell-off to a broad resurgence of risk-off sentiment across global financial markets. Furthermore, traditional safe-haven assets like gold and certain government bonds saw increased interest during the same period. Walter Bloomberg’s report detailed that Bitcoin had been up as much as 12% for the year before this reversal. The swift downturn, therefore, underscores the cryptocurrency’s continued sensitivity to macro-financial flows. Key data points from the event include: Price Peak to Trough: A drop from yearly highs above $98,000 to the $87,000 level. ETF Flow Impact: The $490M outflow suggests institutional and large-scale investor profit-taking or risk management. Volume Spike: Trading volumes across major exchanges surged by over 40% compared to the weekly average. This event provides a clear case study in how ETF flows, once hailed as a stabilizing force, can also accelerate downward momentum during market stress. Analyzing the Drivers of Cryptocurrency Market Volatility Several interconnected factors converged to create the conditions for this sell-off. Primarily, escalating geopolitical tensions in several regions prompted investors to reduce exposure to perceived risk assets. Additionally, comments from central bank officials regarding persistent inflationary pressures contributed to uncertainty about future liquidity conditions. Market structure also played a critical role. The growing dominance of ETF-held Bitcoin means large redemption requests from authorized participants force the underlying custodians to sell BTC on the open market. This mechanism can create a self-reinforcing cycle during periods of net outflows. Historical data shows similar, though less pronounced, patterns occurred during previous ETF outflow episodes in late 2024. Expert Warnings and Technical Support Levels Following the price action, several trading desks and analysis firms issued warnings. Notably, analysts cited by Walter Bloomberg indicated that Bitcoin could now test a crucial support band between $80,000 and $84,000. This zone represents a key consolidation area from Q4 2025 and a major on-chain cost basis for many recent investors. Technical analysts point to the 100-day moving average, currently near $83,500, as a level that could provide dynamic support. A sustained break below $80,000, however, might signal a deeper correction toward the next significant support near $75,000. The increased volatility, measured by the Bitcoin Volatility Index (BVOL), has more than doubled from its February lows, indicating trader anxiety. The table below summarizes the key price levels and their significance: Price Level Significance Type $87,000 Current Price & Year’s Open Breakdown Level $84,000 – $80,000 Major On-Chain Support Zone Critical Support $83,500 100-Day Moving Average Technical Support $75,000 Q3 2025 High & Psychological Level Next Major Support The Broader Impact on Digital Asset Markets Bitcoin’s decline predictably exerted downward pressure on the wider digital asset ecosystem. Major altcoins, often correlated with Bitcoin’s price movements, experienced declines ranging from 8% to 15%. The total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies fell by over $200 billion within 24 hours. Moreover, derivatives markets saw over $1.2 billion in leveraged long positions liquidated, according to data from Coinglass, exacerbating the spot market sell-off. This event tests the narrative of “institutional maturity” for crypto markets. While ETFs provide access, they also introduce traditional market mechanics like rapid fund flows that can increase short-term volatility. Regulatory observers will likely scrutinize whether these products amplify systemic risk during stress periods. Conversely, some long-term investors view such pullbacks as healthy consolidations within a broader bull market, providing potential entry points. Conclusion The erosion of Bitcoin’s 2026 gains, triggered by nearly $490 million in spot Bitcoin ETF outflows, serves as a potent reminder of the market’s evolving dynamics. The plunge to $87,000 underscores the asset’s ongoing vulnerability to macro sentiment and institutional capital flows. As the market watches the $80,000 to $84,000 support band, the episode highlights the critical importance of monitoring ETF flow data alongside technical and geopolitical developments. Ultimately, this volatility represents a stress test for the integrated traditional and digital finance system, with implications for investor strategy and regulatory perspective moving forward. FAQs Q1: What caused Bitcoin to erase its 2026 gains? The primary catalyst was nearly $490 million in net outflows from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs in one day, combined with a broader market shift to risk-off sentiment due to geopolitical tensions. Q2: What are the key support levels for Bitcoin now? Analysts are watching a major support zone between $80,000 and $84,000, which includes significant on-chain data points and the 100-day moving average around $83,500. Q3: How do ETF outflows directly affect Bitcoin’s price? When investors redeem ETF shares, authorized participants must return the underlying assets to the issuer. This often requires selling Bitcoin on the open market, creating direct selling pressure. Q4: Is this type of volatility normal for Bitcoin? While volatility has decreased with institutional adoption, sharp corrections following periods of strong gains remain a characteristic of the cryptocurrency market, especially during macro uncertainty. Q5: What does this mean for other cryptocurrencies (altcoins)? Altcoins typically show high correlation with Bitcoin during sharp market moves. Consequently, most major altcoins also experienced significant declines during this sell-off. This post Bitcoin ETF Outflows Trigger Alarming Plunge: $490M Exit Wipes 2026 Gains first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

21 Jan 2026, 18:30

Best Crypto Under $1 for Early-Stage Growth, This Altcoin Just Hit 300%

Investors of the crypto world are again seeking assets that could provide its early-stage returns before the second wave of utility uptake in the market. Although a big part of the entire market is already pricing in years of development, a cheap altcoin has already started drawing the attention as it has provided a steep multi-month gain and taken a step closer to protocol activation. It has become one of the few cheap crypto assets being looked at by many investors as potentially able to gain in the first half of 2026 as the crisis approaches its end. Mutuum Finance (MUTM) Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is a new developing crypto project that is currently constructing a decentralized lending protocol. Two different markets make up the system which collaborate to generate liquidity without compelling users to liquidate long term holdings. The initial market is the peer to collateral market. Suppliers open deposit accounts and earn yield and mtTokens. In the case of a user that deposits $3,000 of ETH at an APY of 5%, the balance of their mtEth would increase with time. Under these instruments, depositors are rewarded on the basis of enhancing liquidity into the system. The peer to peer borrowing market is the second market. Borrowers put collateral and withdraw funds through the system. Defined borrowing to value ratios and liquidation conditions are used in loans. Here is an example: a user may be posting an asset of $10,000 of ETH at a 70% LTV and borrowing $7,000 of a stable asset. This is attractive to traders who would like to have the liquidity but not sell the core positions in a bullish market. In structured presale, more than $19.8M have been raised and it had more than 18,800 holders. These numbers are considered a validation signal by the investors as it indicates participation prior to full utility. Under the official X account of the protocol team , V1 will switch to testnet deployment preceding the activation of mainnet in 2026. Stage and Price MUTM is selling out in Phase 7 at $0.04. The total number of tokens is 4B MUTM. Of this supply, there is an early distribution amounting 45.5% that will be equal to 1.82B tokens. Some of this has already been sold and transferred into the wallets of holders. MUTM was launched at $0.01 in the first phase in early 2025. This is a greater than 300% token appreciation into current pricing. Phase 1 members will be at the established launch price of $0.06, which is projected to gain 500% MUTM appreciation. The price increase is added in every phase step. The following step will increase MUTM by close to 20% of the present level. The use of staged pricing as supply tightening has previously been employed in development cycles of DeFi to compensate early entrants prior to events like listings. Security Framework and Audit Layer Another big element of roadmap implementation has been security. Mutuum Finance has gone through a complete code audit by Halborn Security . The audit examined collateral logic, liquidation rules, flow of interest repayments and issuance of mtTokens. A token scan by CertiK also had a 90 out of 100 ranking with the MUTM token. These factors denote that the team is getting ready to real borrowing and lending and not speculative hype. It also has a $50,000 bug bounty to find vulnerabilities prior to mainnet. Security checks are considered as basic in the lending environment since liquidation, oracle pricing, and collateral triggers should act properly in the market volatility. Investor Urgency and Positioning before 2026 Investors have become more urgent as Phase 7 is accelerating. The entry of larger wallets has been witnessed in this stage. The top daily buyer is awarded with a $500 in MUTM on a 24 hour leaderboard which keeps the interest going. Non-crypto onboarding Card payment support Non-crypto users can onboard using wallet complexities. These characteristics broaden the accessibility and can be part of the continued increase in participation. Mutuum Finance is Ethereum-based. This brings the protocol in line with the current DeFi infrastructure, liquidity, and stablecoin supply. This is what many think will make the system work more efficiently when V1 will be activated. As the market gears towards an expansion phase in the first quarter of 2026, MUTM is already ranked among the top crypto assets with a price below $1 that remains in an early-stage growth bracket. For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below: Website: https://www.mutuum.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

21 Jan 2026, 18:26

Why Bitwise’s Matt Hougan Thinks Chainlink (LINK) Is Deeply Undervalued

Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at crypto asset manager Bitwise, believes Chainlink (LINK) is one of the “least understood, most important, and possibly most undervalued” crypto assets. The exec’s comments come days after the quiet launch of Bitwise’s new Chainlink exchange-traded product (ETP). From Stablecoins to DeFi In the latest memo, Hougan stated that the Chainlink ETP debuted with modest volumes and tight spreads, but without the strong reception seen by Bitcoin ETPs. He attributed this to investors failing to fully grasp LINK’s role in the crypto ecosystem. He described Chainlink, currently the 11th-largest crypto asset by market capitalization at nearly $10 billion, as a complex project that does not fit neatly into the simple narratives often associated with other major cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin as digital gold or Ethereum as a smart contract platform. Hougan argued that referring to Chainlink just as a “data oracle” understates its function and creates confusion. While oracles are typically described as services that provide blockchains with external information, such as asset prices or real-world events, Hougan said this explanation fails to capture the breadth of what Chainlink does today. Instead, he framed it as a high-growth software platform that helps solve a “core problem” facing blockchains – their isolation from each other and from the real world. He said Chainlink has achieved dominant market share, which ranges from roughly 50% to nearly 100%, across several of these infrastructure services. The Bitwise exec also argued that many of the fastest-growing and institutionally relevant areas of crypto rely heavily on its technology. He said stablecoins depend on Chainlink for price feeds, cross-chain movement, and proof-of-reserves mechanisms, while tokenization initiatives rely on it for pricing, asset servicing, and compliance-related processes. Hougan added that decentralized finance applications and prediction markets also depend on its services to function. He pointed to the project’s adoption by some of the world’s largest institutions and market participants, such as DTCC, SWIFT, JPMorgan, BNP Paribas, Visa, Mastercard, Euroclear, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, FTSE Russell, Coinbase, Aave, Deutsche Börse, and Polymarket. The exec expects growing institutional demand for Chainlink ETPs as more financial assets move on-chain. LINK Price Trajectory On the price side of things, LINK has seen increased volatility over the past month. After trading mostly sideways in late December, the token rallied in early January and briefly climbed above the $14 level before losing momentum. However, it soon suffered a pullback, as a result of which LINK gave up a portion of its gains and slid back toward the $12.3 range in recent sessions. Meanwhile, blockchain analytics firm Santiment said the largest Chainlink holders have resumed accumulating the token as prices slipped back below the $13 level. According to the data, wallets ranked among the top 100 LINK holders have been increasing their balances during the recent pullback, even as smaller retail investors appear to be selling amid impatience and fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). The firm noted that such behavior is common during periods of market weakness, and large investors often accumulate assets during dips in anticipation of a potential price recovery. The post Why Bitwise’s Matt Hougan Thinks Chainlink (LINK) Is Deeply Undervalued appeared first on CryptoPotato .

21 Jan 2026, 18:20

Intel shares surge as investors warm to CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s turnaround strategy

Intel shareholders are feeling more hopeful about the company than they have in several quarters, believing that CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s promised turnaround is starting to work and that growing data center construction is driving strong sales for the company’s traditional server chips. Several big-name investments arranged by Tan last year have renewed investor attention to Intel stock , which had fallen sharply in 2024 after years of poor management decisions. Those missteps included a failed AI product plan that resulted in major competitive setbacks and thousands of employees losing their jobs. Stock surges as confidence return s In tel’s stock jumped 84% in 2025, doing much better than the main semiconductor index’s 42% increase. The company plans to release its fourth-quarter results after markets close on Thursday. Major financial backing has strengthened Intel’s position. Nvidia invested $5 billion in the company, while SoftBank put in $2 billion. The U.S. government also took a stake in Intel. These moves have improved Intel’s balance sheet and given Tan room to start changing the company’s manufacturing and AI plans. Tan has also remade the company’s chipmaking operations and reduced what he described as an overly large management structure. “It’s the most optimistic, I think, people have felt about the company in a long time; the near-term dynamics are set up very well,” said Ryuta Makino, an analyst at Intel investor Gabelli Funds. “That’s really the big Intel bull case here – I think there will be at least a double-digit server CPU (central processing unit) price hike in 2026. ” At least 10 brokerages have increased their price targets or ratings for Intel in the past two months , showing higher expectations for the company. Intel will likely report more than a 30% jump in its data center business to $4.43 billion for the quarter that ended in December, based on data compiled by LSEG. The increase could come from large technology companies expanding advanced data centers that need Intel’s traditional server chips and CPUs, along with graphics processors made by companies like Nvidia. Sales in Intel’s personal computer division likely grew 2.5% to $8.21 billion. PC market challenges persist despite new product s In tel has been steadily losing market share in the PC market to competitor AMD and chip blueprint designer Arm. The company may now also deal with weaker PC demand because a worldwide shortage of memory chips has pushed up memory chip prices and made laptops more costly. “While we remain bullish on data center demand, we believe PC demand may moderate from increasing memory pricing, given memory accounts for 25% to 30% of PC bill of materials,” UBS analysts said in a note earlier this month. The brokerage expects a drop of 4% in worldwide 2026 PC shipments, compared with the over 3% growth it predicted earlier. Intel’s updated product lineup may help reduce some losses. The company has begun shipping its new “Panther Lake” PC chips – the first product made using Intel’s critical 18A manufacturing technology. Its previous generation of PC chips were mostly made by chip contractor TSMC . Intel has long been its own biggest manufacturing customer, but with its growing political goodwill, observers are hoping for new foundry clients. “We really like Lip-Bu Tan, but more importantly, more powerful people like President Trump, Secretary Lutnick, (Nvidia CEO) Jensen Huang, and even (AMD CEO) Lisa Su like him even more as a business partner,” Melius Research analysts said in a note. Claim your free seat in an exclusive crypto trading community - limited to 1,000 members.