McDonald’s MacCoin Big Mac Token Isn’t a Cryptocurrency

McDonald’s, on Sunday, unveiled the MacCoin—and the business world shuttered. Given the still-fresh memory of Kodak’s announcement it would launch its own cryptocurrency, many feared the restaurant chain was hopping on the bandwagon as well.

Fortunately, even though McDonald’s announcement touted the MacCoin as the “first fully food-backed global currency,” it’s not a Bitcoin alternative. It’s actually just a heavier-than-usual coupon for a free burger.

The chain is rolling out the tokens at 14,000 restaurants in 50 countries starting August 2 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Big Mac. Buy the sandwich and get a MacCoin to get another at some point (that is, assuming you’re not a collector; McDonald’s will rollout five designs of the coin, one for each decade the Big Mac has been around).

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