Following Tesla, local governments also recognize it... Miami City employees receive salaries in Bitcoin, 'world's first'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

A local government in the United States has started paying its employees' salaries in Bitcoin.

Bloomberg reported on the 11th (local time) that Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced at a press conference that not only will employees be paid in Bitcoin, but taxpayers will also be allowed to pay their taxes using Bitcoin.

He explained that employees can choose to receive their salaries in Bitcoin if they wish, and taxpayers who want to pay their taxes with cryptocurrency can do so. Bloomberg also reported that he is considering investing some of the city government's funds in cryptocurrency. This is the first time in U.S. history that a local government has paid employees' salaries in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.

Mayor Suarez's move appears to be part of efforts to attract high-tech IT companies concentrated in Silicon Valley to Florida. Recently, IT companies in Silicon Valley have been considering relocating to southern U.S. states like Texas or Florida, where taxes are lower, due to the high taxes in Silicon Valley.

Bloomberg noted that his proposal has gained momentum following Tesla's purchase of Bitcoin.

Earlier, on the 8th, Tesla announced that it had purchased $1.5 billion (approximately 1.6726 trillion won) worth of Bitcoin. In addition, Tesla announced plans to accept Bitcoin for electric vehicle payments. On the 11th, Bitcoin prices surged past $48,000 at market open amid a flood of positive news, repeatedly hitting all-time highs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.