McDonalds Launches MacCoin Cryptocurrency for Big Mac 50th Anniversary

McDonalds Launches MacCoin

You read it right, even McDonalds is entering the token game… kind of. The global fast food brand has recently launched MacCoin, a token that was released to celebrate the 50th of the Big Mac. More than 6.2 million MacCoins will be distributed around the world. According to a local news outlet, 50,000 coins will be distributed in New Zealand.

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The MacCoins

The idea that drives the release of the tokens is that the customers of the company will be able to collect them, share and redeem them for free Big Macs in more than 50 countries. This way, travelers will not need to change currencies in order to buy Big Macs.

Reports stated that the tokens will be launched in August 2. The date August 2nd was chosen due to it being the Birthday of the inventor, Jim Delligatti. Jim would have turned 100 on that date. Back in 1986 The Economist starting using the price of a Big Mac as an index to determine purchasing power of currencies around the world. McDonald's decided to have a little fun with the idea of being a global currency and created their own.

However, unlike most cryptocurrencies, McDonalds’ coins will not be really digital, but literal coins instead. The tokens will be distributed among many countries and people will be able to collect them.

Controversies

One of the main controversies that McDonalds is raising with this is that this initiative comes at a time in which Bitcoin and other cryptos are starting to change the idea of currencies around the world. This way, with a limited distribution of coins and having them on a worldwide scale, the company is sure to cause controversy.

The MacCoin will have no real value, though. It will only be redeemable for one free Big Map during 2018, acting in a similar way to coupons. The company will have guards handing out MacCoins to people in many spots, so check out their site to know which one will be closer to you.