This Miami Asset Goes to Market Willing to Accept Bitcoin as Payment

Before the pandemic, the commercial real estate market had slowly and cautiously been opening up to cryptocurrencies, such a bitcoin. Those endeavors mostly paused during the health crisis but now appear to be re-emerging. Namely, the Treehouse nightclub in in Miami’s South Beach is coming to market and the seller, Acqua LLC, is willing to accept all forms of payment including cryptocurrencies.

The acceptance of Bitcoin allows a unique group of investors to access a high-barrier-to-entry real estate market, according to Michael T. Fay, principal and Miami managing director at Avison Young who is leading the sale along with his colleagues VP Brian C. de la Fé and associate Emily Brais. “The creative financing option of this offering also adds tremendous value for investors and is ideal for many foreign players who heavily deal in cryptocurrencies and are looking to transfer that into an investment in American land,” adds Michael Freundlich of Acqua LLC about why the firm made the decision to accept alternative forms of payment.

The Treehouse nightclub is an operating event venue totaling 4,322-square-foot on an 8,890-square-foot lot. It is located walking distance from multiple high-end hotels and luxury condos. The property also includes indoor and outdoor entertainment areas, a valid and up-to-date 5COP liquor license. The club operates evenings five nights a week at 50% capacity. Through COVID-19, the club has a drinks-only service and strict mask mandate in place.

While accepting Bitcoin as payment is one usage of cryptocurrency technology in commercial real estate, the market can also benefit from the blockchain technology behind the currency. At the end of 2019, Jimmy Bingham, SVP at Prime Trust and a certified blockchain professional, predicted that 2020 would be the year of the Blockchain, but that was before the pandemic hit. Still, CRE companies can significantly benefit from blockchain technologies. “You are able to trade your digital assets 24-7, 365 days per year,” said Bingham about the benefits. “Today, the stock exchange isn’t open on weekends or holidays, so this is going to be beneficial for the public REITs, but even for the mom-and-pop investors there are benefits. The smaller investors will be able to take part in the real estate investment game.”