City of Austin Approves ‘Fact-Finding Study’ for Tax Payments in Bitcoin, Crypto

The Texas city will investigate the feasibility of adopting “bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies” with a study due in mid-June.

AccessTimeIconMar 24, 2022 at 10:18 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 6:37 p.m. UTC
Drive the Crypto Policy Conversation Forward
October 24, 2023 • Convene • Washington D.C.Where the industry establishes the digital economy’s legal, regulatory and compliance best practices for the future.Register Now

Austin, Texas took a step toward bitcoin (BTC) adoption Thursday as city councilors greenlit a plan to investigate the feasibility of accepting tax payments via “bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies” in the city of 1 million.

Austin’s powerful City Manager will research the change’s legality, its potential to “benefit” public services, its impact on the economy and the environment and “analysis of the financial stability and security of cryptocurrency,” per a draft of resolution 55. This “fact-finding study” is due on June 16.

Austin’s plan vaults it to the forefront of U.S. cities that view crypto as a potentially lucrative municipal energizer. Mayors in Miami, New York and Jackson, Tenn., have similarly leaned into crypto initiatives over the past year.

“Everyone is looking for innovative solutions to tackle municipal challenges, and this may be an option we look to in Austin,” Mayor Steve Adler tweeted on March 18 after a meeting with 25 mayors.

“My support for this does not” signal whether bitcoin payments are a good thing or a bad thing for the municipality to accept, council member Anna Kitchen said, highlighting this was a proposal “for analysis, not for action.” A number of other council members echoed her narrow support.

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

Danny Nelson

Danny is CoinDesk's Managing Editor for Data & Tokens. He owns BTC, ETH and SOL.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.