ByteFederal, a blockchain technology company, has launched a pilot program in Florida enabling real estate buyers to use bitcoin for property purchases, with settlements delivered in U.S. dollars to sellers. 2025, the service targets new construction properties and is facilitated through a strategic partnership with New Estate Only (NEO), a platform specializing in new real estate developments. Additionally, ByteFederal’s collaboration with OPISAS, an international real estate firm, allows foreign investors to purchase U.S. properties with cryptocurrency, expanding access to Florida’s housing market.
The Florida pilot enables buyers to pay security deposits and final closing payments in bitcoin, which ByteFederal converts to USD for escrow or title companies. “We generate a Bitcoin QR code, you make the Bitcoin payment, we handle the conversion, and then we deliver USD fiat to the escrow or title company for closing,” said Paul Tarantino, CEO of ByteFederal, in an interview. The service, currently manual, has a growing waitlist and is set to become fully automated soon. Buyers can fund transactions entirely in bitcoin or combine crypto with fiat, offering flexibility for diverse financial strategies.
ByteFederal’s partnership with NEO leverages the latter’s platform, which serves as a multiple listing service (MLS) for new construction, a market segment traditionally absent from traditional MLS platforms. NEO, venture capital-backed and operational in Florida and Texas, lists properties like single-family homes, townhomes, condos and high-rise apartments. “NEO is the first company to build a big platform for all the new housing and development projects,” Tarantino explained.
The collaboration with OPISAS targets international investors, particularly from Italy, seeking U.S. real estate. OPISAS facilitates property selection, while ByteFederal handles crypto-to-fiat conversions, ensuring sellers receive USD without exposure to bitcoin’s price volatility. This partnership aligns with growing global interest in U.S. real estate, with NEO planning expansions to Colombia, El Salvador, Italy and Dubai. “They can be going in both directions — someone in the U.S. buying real estate in Colombia or someone in Colombia buying in the U.S.,” Tarantino noted, highlighting the platform’s global potential.
ByteFederal, based in Florida, operates Bitcoin ATMs, offers the ByteWallet and provides ByteConnect, a point-of-sale system for merchants. With 15 money transmitter licenses, the company emphasizes regulatory compliance, positioning itself to benefit from recent U.S. regulatory developments like the Clarity Act, which may provide legal clarity for stablecoins like Tether and Lightning Network transactions. “It’s going to bring a lot of new users into the market who were maybe afraid of it or didn’t feel comfortable stepping in yet,” Tarantino said, referencing the custodial wallet launch planned for September 2025.
This initiative comes amid broader shifts in U.S. financial policy. The Federal Housing Finance Agency is exploring crypto assets for mortgage underwriting, a move that could integrate digital currencies into mainstream finance. ByteFederal’s service addresses key challenges, such as taxation and liquidity, by providing a compliant bridge between crypto and fiat. The company’s focus on new construction and international buyers positions it to capitalize on Florida’s robust real estate market and growing crypto adoption.
