Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez said Monday his office has begun accepting bitcoin for property tax payments, both online and in person, while converting every transaction into dollars before the money reaches the county.

Fernandez announced the change in a statement on the Tax Collector’s website, calling it a way to give property owners another option without putting public funds into the asset. Payers can select a cryptocurrency option during online checkout or request it at the counter, then connect a supported exchange account or digital wallet and authorize the payment.

A third-party system converts the bitcoin into U.S. dollars at the time of payment, the office said, so it never holds, invests in or manages any cryptocurrency. The office said it still receives the full dollar amount owed and records the transactions in its standard payment reports, without county workers maintaining digital wallets.

“Government must keep up with the times and the needs of the people we serve,” Fernandez said. “By accepting Bitcoin as a payment option, we are giving property owners another way to pay their taxes, whether online or in person, while continuing to offer the traditional payment methods they already know and trust.”

He added that the office is “embracing new technology without compromising our responsibility to protect taxpayer dollars.” Whether someone pays with bitcoin or a conventional method, he said, “our office receives the full amount owed in U.S. dollars.”

The office did not name the payment processor or say whether bitcoin payments carry a convenience fee.

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