Louisiana Government Says Residents Can Now Pay for State Services Using Crypto
The government of Louisiana announced on Thursday that it had officially started accepting crypto payments, joining several other US states that are now embracing digital currencies as a payment method for state services.
Louisiana to Support Payments in USDC and BTC
In his statement, Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming mentioned USDC and Bitcoin as the two digital assets the government will accept for now. He also revealed that the first crypto payment had already been made to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries as a fine.
Fleming says the Louisiana government has partnered with local payment processing companies to integrate crypto into its system in an effort to curb fraudulent transactions and broaden its payment options. He adds that they plan to convert received crypto payments into US dollars to protect the state from price volatility, which is common in the digital asset space.
Louisiana Policymaker Urges US States to Adopt Crypto
Several Louisiana policymakers have advocated for cryptocurrencies in recent years, among them being House Representative Mark Wright. Following Thursday’s announcement, Wright took to X to express his excitement over the new development while urging other US states to embrace cryptocurrency payments.
The Republican lawmaker, whose party leader Donald Trump also supports crypto, created a digital asset working group in 2022, which concluded that Bitcoin would be a feasible payment option in Louisiana. At the time, he praised Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto for their invention.
Other American States Accepting Cryptocurrency Payments
Louisiana isn’t the only US state embracing crypto, as several others have already integrated digital assets into their payment systems. For instance, Ohio began accepting crypto for tax payments in 2018, allowing businesses to pay different taxes with Bitcoin. However, Ohio’s Attorney General ordered the state to discontinue the crypto payment program the following year, arguing that it wasn’t approved by the Board of Deposit.
In 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that state departments would start accepting tax payments in crypto, a move that he said would encourage blockchain innovations and promote Frorida as a digital asset-friendly state. That year, Colorado partnered with BitPay to accept tax payments in crypto.
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