Enterprise technology provider NCR Corporation has announced an agreement to buy LibertyX, the company that launched one of the first retail Bitcoin ATMs. In a Monday announcement, NCR said it expected to purchase LibertyX later this year depending on regulatory licensing consents and approvals. The firm said it planned to offer LibertyX’s capabilities as part of its solutions for banks, retailers and restaurants, implying NCR clients could see crypto withdrawals, purchasing and payment features after the deal is finalized. “Our customers require a complete digital currency solution, including the ability to buy and sell cryptocurrency, conduct cross-border remittance and accept …

Cash may be king when it comes to purchasing Bitcoin (BTC), as recent data states that there has been a spike in crypto ATM installations during 2021, showing a 71.3% increase from Jan. 1, 2021, until the time of reporting. Specifically speaking, there are currently over 24,000 crypto ATMs located across the globe. Data further suggests that crypto ATMs are being installed at a rate of about 52.3 machines per day. While growth is clearly underway for the cryptocurrency sector, the reason behind the surge in crypto ATMs may be due to a demand for using cash to buy Bitcoin. …

Alongside cryptocurrency’s decade-long adoption drive, the momentum behind the installation of crypto ATMs continues across the globe. Based on Coin ATM Radar’s latest data, crypto ATM installations in 2021 have witnessed a spike of 71.73%, pulling up the numbers from 13,993 on Jan. 1 to 24,030 at the time of reporting. Last year, the global count rose to 13,993 ATMs with a 119.56% growth after 7,620 new machines were installed. So far, 2021 has seen the installation of 10,037 ATMs. To keep things in perspective, data suggests that crypto ATMs are being installed at a speed of roughly 52.3 ATMs …

The largest Bitcoin ATM operator in the world has said it will be expanding into Circle K locations in the United States and Canada. Bitcoin Depot announced today that more than 700 of its Bitcoin ATM machines had already been installed at Circle K convenience stores in 30 U.S. states as part of the new partnership. The crypto ATM distributer said the expansion could provide underserved communities with financial access tools and attract more people to the crypto space. “Over the last year, we have watched cryptocurrency gain mainstream adoption by wealth managers and investment firms, but what about the …

Spike Lee’s new ad dubbed “The Currency of Currency” launched online today, and the two-minute spot depicts crypto as new money for a diverse world. The 64-year-old Oscar-winning filmmaker directed and starred in the commercial for crypto ATM provider Coin Cloud. In the ad, he explores themes such as racial and financial inequality, diversity and inclusivity. “Old money, as rich as it looks, is flat out broke,” Lee says, adding “they call it green, but it’s only white,” as he cites the lack of diversity in people depicted on U.S. dollar bills and coins. While the ad spot had previously …

U.S. company Athena intends to supply El Salvador’s new crypto-based economy with 1500 Bitcoin ATMs, a company representative has confirmed. The rollout will start small, trialing a few dozen machines to establish a business model. The Chicago headquartered firm plans to invest more than $1 million to install cryptocurrency ATMs, targeting regions where residents receive remittances from abroad. Along with installing the new machines it will also hire staff and open an office to carry out operations in El Salvador. Athena currently operates just two ATMs of this type in El Salvador, one at El Zonte beach as part of …

China continues apace with the adoption of its central bank digital currency (CBDC) as major banks launch a significant batch of digital yuan-powered ATMs. The digital yuan — a CBDC controlled by The People’s Bank of China — is now available for deposit and withdrawals at over 3,000 ATMs across Beijing, state-run Xinhua news agency reported Friday. According to the report, the Beijing branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has become the first bank to fully enable the digital yuan exchange in the Chinese capital city by setting up more than 3,000 digital currency-compatible ATMs. The Agricultural …

The World Bank has refused El Salvador’s request for help on the country’s transition to adopting Bitcoin (BTC) as legal tender. It cited issues with Bitcoin’s environmental impact and transparency as reasons why it will not support El Salvador’s move to adopt Bitcoin as an officially accepted currency. “While the government did approach us for assistance on Bitcoin, this is not something the World Bank can support, given the environmental and transparency shortcomings,” a World Bank spokesperson said. The World Bank did note, however, that it can help El Salvador in other ways, including “currency transparency and regulatory processes.” Earlier …

Since March 1, 2020, the number of new Bitcoin ATMs installed worldwide is nearing 10,000. According to the latest data from Coin ATM Radar, the current number of machines stands at 16,835, a strong 57.5% increase, or 9,683 new machines, as compared with 7,152 last year. Back in Nov. 2020, Cointelegraph had reported a striking year-on-year increase of 80%. As previously, the vast majority of machines continue to be located in the United States, where 81% (13,699 out of 16,835 machines globally) are installed. Within the U.S., growth has been unparalleled, rising by 177% since March 1, 2020, or from …

Famous meme crypto Dogecoin (DOGE) can now be accessed through 1,800 ATMs across the United States. Leading Bitcoin ATM provider Coinflip announced the support for Dogecoin on Mar. 1, with the company’s CEO and co-founder, Daniel Polotsky, attributing the move to DOGE’s recent “popularity and recent mass adoption.” On Feb. 4th, the cryptocurrency’s price rose 25% within minutes after Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk posted a rocket going to the moon and adding “Doge” in the comments. Doge — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2021 Two days later, the world’s second-richest man continued his Doge shill, posting a survey …

Crypto industry actors in Hong Kong have been trying to push back against a forthcoming law that would restrict legal cryptocurrency trading to professional investors, locking out 93% of the local population from the market. In comments to the South China Morning Post published on Monday, industry body Global Digital Finance warned that the proposed law would likely push retail traders to embrace unregulated platforms. Global Digital Finance represents cryptocurrency exchanges such as BitMEX, Huobi, Coinbase and OKCoin and has been at the forefront of industry efforts to push back against the forthcoming legislation. Hong Kong's Financial Services and the …

The Bitcoin Association of Hong Kong is appealing to regulators to consider the impact of incoming laws on the city’s digital innovation agenda. In November, Hong Kong’s government announced plans to ban retail cryptocurrency trading as part of a broader money laundering crackdown. According to the South China Morning Post on Dec. 24, the proposed crypto regulations could also extend to Bitcoin automated teller machines. In a consultation paper published in November, the Financial Services and Treasury Bureau revealed that it also had plans to regulate Bitcoin ATMs. Data from CoinAtmRadar shows Hong Kong is home to 62 Bitcoin ATMs. …