Authorities in the city of Detroit, in the United States, announced that residents will soon have the option to pay taxes and other fees using bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrencies through a platform managed by PayPal. With this measure, Detroit would become the largest city in that country to accept this type of digital payments.
This announcement is part of a “broader city strategy” to explore technologies that could improve public services, strengthen civic participation and foster economic growth, they say in a statement. press release.
They assure that the initiative not only makes it easier for Detroit residents carry out transactions in BTC and crypto assets with the citybut also “marks Detroit’s commitment to welcoming entrepreneurs working on cryptocurrency and technology projects who want to make a difference in the city.”
The cryptocurrency payment option will be available in mid-2025, according to city treasurer Nikhil Patel, who added that his office “is committed to modernizing our payment channels and processes to improve the customer experience and improve efficiency.” internal operations”.
“This new payment platform will increase accessibility for Detroiters who want to use cryptocurrency; More importantly, the platform upgrade will also make it easier for Detroiters to make electronic payments, including those who may be unbanked,” Patel said.
In addition to the cryptocurrency payment option, Detroit invites entrepreneurs and innovators in the cryptocurrency ecosystem to submit their application ideas to Justin Onwenu, the city’s Director of Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunities. As announced, Detroit is particularly interested in projects that harness the potential of cryptocurrencies to improve transparency, data security and streamline public services.
This move makes Detroit the largest US city to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment for city fees and taxes. So far, only three states in the country (Colorado, Utah and Louisiana) have adopted cryptoassets for state payments. Other cities such as Williston, North Dakota, and Miami Lakes, Florida, have already implemented systems to accept cryptocurrencies for utility bills, permits and licenses.using services such as BitPay and PayPal.
Detroit’s announcement comes just days after Donald Trump won the presidential election. Trump has promised a more open policy towards the cryptocurrency sector, including reviewing regulations to facilitate its adoption and use at the national level.
This approach could accelerate the integration of this technology into public and private services, following the example of cities like Lugano, in Switzerland, where citizens can pay their taxes with bitcoin (BTC) and USD Tether (USDT), as reported by CriptoNoticias.
This article was created using artificial intelligence and edited by a human Editor.
