But this is a pretty inconsequential semantic difference. You could just as easily say that you’re selling dollars and the grocery store is paying you in bread.
No, it is a very significant difference and is not just semantics. The transaction is clearing in dollars and those dollars are moving from buyer to seller. There is no other currency involved in the transaction. The fact that dollars are constant and the seller could be exchanging bread, milk, cars, or bars of gold for the dollars tells you what the medium of exchange is here.
Once the transaction has cleared the seller can convert the dollars into euros, yen, ruble, pesos, or bitcoin and it has nothing to do with the actual transaction.
Once the transaction has cleared the seller can convert the dollars into euros, yen, ruble, pesos, or bitcoin and it has nothing to do with the actual transaction.