[2015-08-29] Andreas Antonopoulos Thinks Bitcoin ATMs Need to Be Completely Rede

[tyz]

Mastering Bitcoin Author Andreas Antonopoulos recently gave at talk at Harvard’s i-lab, spending much of his time in front of a small audience describing the various issues with Bitcoin as a brand.

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/21732/andreas-antonopoulos-thinks-bitcoin-atms-need-completely-redesigned/

[bryant.coleman]

He is 100% right. The current Bitcoin ATMs are not user-friendly at all. They are too complex for the non-tech savvy users. Converting cash to BTC is not that difficult, but redeeming the BTCs for cash is a bit more complex. Some of them are having irritating KYC requirements, and with most of the brands the fee is on the higher side.

[Kprawn]

The Bitcoin ATM's he sees in his vision, would be way too expensive for the people who have to operate and support it. These companies want a similar return on investment as

the traditional ATM's. If someone is new to Bitcoin, he should first do his homework. I will add a option --> New to Bitcoin? Press here... Once the person pressed on that

option, the ATM print a little pamphlet with links to resources on the ATM owners website with beginner information OR it gives them the option to speak to Customer Support.

He has the right idea... but it's expensive.    

[Hot Carl]

He is 100% right. The current Bitcoin ATMs are not user-friendly at all. They are too complex for the non-tech savvy users. Converting cash to BTC is not that difficult, but redeeming the BTCs for cash is a bit more complex. Some of them are having irritating KYC requirements, and with most of the brands the fee is on the higher side.

You don't really need to be tech savvy to use them at all. They're not as easy as conventional ATMs that's for sure but you don't need to be a geek to use them. The fees also need to be pretty high to make it worth it for the owner.

[Denker]

As Andreas explains a Bitcoin ATM from his point of view would be more like an Infoterminal combined with some useful features like buying and sending Bitcoins all over the world.
However I'm not sure how to realize his vision of customer and info service if he wants a real person for that. This will cost a lot more than just automated version.
Maybe some implemented short video explanations and FAQ would be helpful.

[medUSA]

I like his idea. There are easier ways to achieve what he has envisioned. The ATM can display short interactive videos and have a button on screen "watch this video on your phone" to email a link to the user or display a QR code. "Talk to a human" is a nice touch, I believe it's not a ATM's job to promote bitcoin and answer newbie questions. If I am queuing to use the bitcoin ATM, I do not want the person in front of me to video chat.

[Swordsoffreedom]

He has a point, the machine presumes you know what your doing in the first place.
To attract business it needs to act more as a service that assists you and teaches you how to use it and the benefits pf Bitcoin like send money to Mexico at low cost, etc rather than a point of access machine, whether a 24/7 support service is needed at this stage is questionable due to the implied costs but it could be needed in the future so points for addressing the idea now.

Basically a revision to provide a more interactive experience is what the BTM industry needs.