London (AFP)

"You can now buy a Tesla in bitcoin" in the United States, announced Tesla boss Elon Musk on his Twitter account, pushing up the price of virtual currency in the process.

Around 1:10 p.m. GMT, the cryptocurrency appreciated 4.3% to 56,802 dollars.

On the American website of the electric vehicle manufacturer, there are now two possibilities: "Order with a card" and "Bitcoin".

Given the extreme volatility of cryptocurrencies, most companies that agree to be paid with virtual currency immediately convert the amount received into dollars.

But Mr. Musk, officially proclaimed “Technoking” (King of Tech) by his company in mid-March, said Tesla would not immediately resell bitcoins acquired this way.

In the "terms and conditions", the company specifies that those interested will have to pay the bitcoin equivalent of the amount displayed in dollars and that customers will have a limited time to make their payment.

Once this window has passed, the amount may change.

The manufacturer had indicated in early February that it planned to accept virtual currency as a means of payment for its cars but did not detail when exactly.

"The ability to pay in bitcoins will be available outside the United States later this year," Musk said on Twitter Tuesday.

Tesla also announced at the time that it had invested $ 1.5 billion of its ample cash in bitcoins, an unexpected decision that had caused the price of bitcoin to soar.

The reaction on Wednesday was moderate, with bitcoin remaining below its all-time high, reaching $ 61,742 earlier in the month.

© 2021 AFP