From full exchange machines to one-way dispensers, CoinDesk brings you the latest in bitcoin automated service news from around the world.
It seems the community is still deciding on an official name that describes the wide variety of machines offered as bitcoin ATMs – except for Robocoin, that is, which now describes its machines as ‘branches’.
While supporting the new term, we’ll continue to use ‘bitcoin ATM’ here for the time being for consistency and Google-ability.
The last week has provided another technological buffet of of ATM/BTM installations and news, further proving that bitcoin and the hardware supporting its economy are global and unstoppable.
Taiwan
Taiwan has had its ice-cream store-based ATM for a while and now its operators have added a multilingual interface for their international clientele.
The Lamassu machine now serves customers in English, Italian, German and French. The notable exception is Chinese, which is still in development and planned for release in the near future.
#Taiwan’s first #Bitcoin machine now offers multi-language support. pic.twitter.com/EJC2NFkZAE
– Bitcoin in Taiwan (@BitcoinFormosa) 13th May 2014
In further news from the company, its second bitcoin ATM is to be launched soon.
Glasgow, Scotland
The country that gave the world liberal economics now is now furthering that cause with a Lamassu ATM, and charging a more than reasonable 0% fee on transactions.
CeX, a tech retailer, is promoting its machine as a way to encourage the general public into using bitcoin via a simple way to buy the digital currency at its bricks-and-mortar location in Glasgow.
China
Last weekend’s Global Bitcoin Summit in Beijing wasn’t just about central bank regulations and mining hardware. Startup BitOcean also demonstrated a pair of active ATMs it has developed in partnership with major exchange OKCoin.
Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver has been the spiritual home of bitcoin ATMs since it installed the world’s first machine back in October last year. Now it has another, a Lamassu kiosk owned by Yuri Yerofeyev, a local bitcoin entrepreneur, trader and Director of The Bitcoin Co-op.
The new ATM can be found at 1195 Robson Street, Vancouver, and, going forwards, customers will be able to purchase their bitcoin at an exchange rate of Virtex +5%. For now, though, the rate is +3% as a promotional offer, so get round there pronto if you need some bitcoin.
DIY vending machine
If you would prefer to spend a day or so building your own machine and saving some bucks in the process, the Open Bitcoin ATM project is now selling kits for its DIY one-way vending kiosks for $645 to US and Canadian customers.
The machine’s clear acrylic case shows you and everyone else just how much fiat currency is being funnelled into bitcoin, although at this stage its note reader accepts US dollars only.
Bristol and London, UK
UK company SatoshiPoint says it has a Robocoin waiting in customs to be installed at Superfoods (25-27 St Stephens Street, Bristol), which also accepts bitcoin and has plans for expansion across the country.
SatoshiPoint has also been seen unloading other Robocoin machines in London and said it will be launching them officially after the Bitcoin2014 conference Amsterdam, which finished yesterday.
London is now on track to rival Singapore as the city with most bitcoin ATM installations.
