The City of Williston would start accepting Bitcoin and other crypto payments from the citizens for all their utility bills in partnership with Bitpay. The city council would first observe the response for the utility crypto payment and if the volumes and interest are significant the city might add other bill payment options in crypto as well including landfill, permits, and licenses. The city of Williston becomes the third municipality in the US to start accepting crypto payments and the first in the State of North Dakota.

Hercules Cummings, the Finance Director of the city explained the decision behind adding crypto payments and said,

“We are the first municipality in the State of North Dakota, and the third in the nation, to offer this service. We are exploring more payment methods to keep pace with existing payment alternatives, deliver to a growing customer demand, and cater to users of all types. There are also a number of advantages to utilizing these online payment methods including security, convenience, and cost savings.”

Individuals willing to pay their utility bills in cryptocurrencies can visit the official website of the city of Williston would require to set up a digital wallet with BitPay and later chose a digital payment option for utility bills such as water and gas. The payment is converted by BitPay from Bitcoin to fiat in a secure manner and as soon as the customers pay in digital assets, the real-time exchange rate data locks digital payment value in fiat.

“This payment diversification shows that Williston is highly interested, adaptable, and accepting to new and emerging technologies, driving value down to our citizens,” emphasized Cummings. “It delivers a statement that Williston embraces technological changes, transformation, and innovation.”

This bull season the adoption of cryptocurrencies is not just limited to Wall Street and retail traders, many cities and state councils have also pushed for accepting crypto payments for various taxes. For example, the Swiss canton of Zug has started to accept tax payments in crypto starting 2021. The city of Miami has also proposed paying government employees in digital currencies.

About Author

An engineering graduate, Prashant focuses on UK and Indian markets. As a crypto-journalist, his interests lie in blockchain technology adoption across emerging economies.