Are people still using bitcoin ATMs?

[Potato Chips]

I keep hearing anecdotal stories of people using them but wonder if they are still considered a good way to buy bitcoin, given the steep fees these machines often charge.

TBH I'm not interested anymore.

Aside from the fees and spread, all the bitcoin ATMs that weren't too far from us required folks to submit an ID. I try to control the platforms I give my personal documents so if I'm gonna do an identity verification, I might as well pick an exchange offering a variety of products/services I plan to use for a long time.

[Assface16678]

Well, I haven't physically used a bitcoin ATM, and I just recently learned about this bitcoin ATM. It's amazing that there's already an ATM dedicated to bitcoin. I'm curious about how it works. I mean, I looked it up and learned how it works, but I'm more curious about experiencing it firsthand or physically. But the thing is, can this innovation be implemented worldwide? Well, it depends if there will be a strong desire in bitcoin to pursue it or if the country itself is welcome to the idea of bitcoin because all things should be done with process. Anyway, yeah, I'm very curious about how it will be used personally. I want to experience it just once, but the problem is I can't go to another country or to NYC, as the OP said there is a bitcoin ATM there. But has this ATM been used by those holders or investors? As we know, we are long-term holders, so are they actually using it?.

[Sandra_hakeem]

I haven't seen people use them in reality, just in here..well the first impression anyone would have when they hear of Bitcoin ATMs would be - "maybe I could withdraw my Bitcoins and store them in my home someday for more safety"? Lol....
I think it'll help a whole lot... And it features would include running rbf on transactions, accessing some block chain informations, adjusting the scale of txn fees per(Vbyte).

Sandra 🧑‍🦰

[Nwada001]

I keep hearing anecdotal stories of people using them but wonder if they are still considered a good way to buy bitcoin, given the steep fees these machines often charge.

In my opinion and understanding, Bitcoin ATMs can never be considered the best way to buy bitcoin. To start with, they have one of the worst fees when compared to what a normal bitcoin transaction fee should be, and their price is always, on the other hand, much higher than what Bitcoin is trading on the crypto market.
 
I believe Bitcoin ATMs are just means for those who are too lazy to do normal research on how to buy bitcoin online because they are just required to either use their card or pay with cash and their mobile number, and they are good to go. Most of them think it's an anonymous way of buying, which is far from that because the ATM captures their face and their mobile number is also taken.

[nakamura12]

If there's more expansion of Bitcoin ATM like they are planning to put other Bitcoin ATM then yes there are still people who use Bitcoin ATM. I can't really tell about other places or other countries if they are still using Bitcoin ATM and in my country, I didn't heard anything about Bitcoin ATM and if there's any Bitcoin ATM placed in my country. It was popular before and many have used it and once again, if you heard someone planned to put a Bitcoin ATM then you can say yourself that someone still use it.

[Wiwo]

Occasionally I hear about Bitcoin ATMs expanding to more and more places. So I would have to assume people use them. It sure seems like a pretty bad way to buy Bitcoin, considering the fees, but people must be using them since they keep growing their numbers.

In my region,  the growth of Bitcoin ATMs have not been visible recently unlike in the last one year when some citizens and members in this forum from my local board shared news about a new Bitcoin ATM in their locality,  but lately there have been a lot of financial crisis in the country economy where the government is closing down on all medium of exchanges within the economy so at the moment the development is kept on low key since the government come after any available bitcoin ATM in the nearest future

[Blitzboy]

Since we're in a digital gold rush, Bitcoin ATMs were pioneers in cryptocurrency exchange. When Bitcoin was hard to get, they were crucial, like the early prospectors. Imagine that a few years ago, these machines gave the masses quick access to Bitcoin.

Bitcoin ATMs still exist in New York City, but they're less common. Why? Since the environment changed. The cryptocurrency world has advanced like we have from panning for gold to trading gold equities on sophisticated platforms. Today, many platforms offer secure, convenient, and affordable Bitcoin trading.

When was the last gold ATM you saw? You havent because gold's value increased and its acquisition methods improved. Bitcoin has no distinction. The digital gold of our time. Bitcoin ATMs showed the possibilities of decentralized cash, but technology and customer behavior have made them less popular.

[Helena Yu]

Based on Bitcoin ATM installations growth, there's a slight decline in the last year, but it continue to rise until now. The demand should be high, if not there's no reason for them to open a new ATM machine.

But personally I didn't use it, I feel like it's not safe with my privacy and the fees is ridiculously high. I'd go for no KYC P2P instead, I don't have to go out and I won't need to pay fees as high as in ATMs.

[alexforneus]

I don't get idea of that ATMs. If you want to buy some coins there are places with much lower fees. If you want to make it anonymously you still can find option to make it cheaper

[The Sceptical Chymist]

You can check this website^[1] to find out if you can find BTC atm's around New York.

Good on you for linking to that site, which is fantastic for keeping track of where all the BTCATMs are--and said locations have definitely expanded over the past few years.  Right now there's at least 5 of them in my town, whereas when I made a thread about my first time using a BTCATM (and why can't I find that thread??) there was only one, and it wasn't working.

But coinradaratm doesn't give any indication as to whether these machines are being used or not.  Around here, I'm in the gas stations where they reside all the time and never see anyone using them.  In NYC, though?  I betcha at least some of them get used a lot.  But NY is a pretty crypto-unfriendly state if I recall correctly, even though they were supposed to be big supporters of it.  Eh.  The ATMs have existed for years, so I'd imagine they're not going to go away anytime soon.

[Rikafip]

I believe Bitcoin ATMs are just means for those who are too lazy to do normal research on how to buy bitcoin online

Believe it or not, some people don't want their banks/government know that they are buying bitcoin.

Most of them think it's an anonymous way of buying, which is far from that because the ATM captures their face and their mobile number is also taken.

If you are worried about cameras, you can always wear mask, sunglasses and baseball cap and pretty much completely hide your face and regarding the mobile number, not all BATM require that (at least not in Europe). I am not saying that its a best way to buy bitcoin/sell because it simply isn't, but I'll rather have more options than not.

[AVE5]

Honestly I've also been hearing of bitcoin ATM but haven't sighted anyone in my country. I can be so assured that we still don't have one yet because the State of bitcoin and crypto access in adoption is not up to a 💯%. I came from a country where the governments bans and lifts the bans time after time over cryptocurrencies. So there's still this unclearity between my country and Cryptocurrencies yet so I wonder if there'd ever be a resolution between both and until then I wonder if they'd ever be one of the bitcoin ATM machines here, although many of us here in the country that holds and invests on bitcoin are on expectations that things gets resolved soonest and forth looking up to have ATM machines at all corners just as how there are Fiats ATM machines everywhere here too.

[DanWalker]

Based on Bitcoin ATM installations growth, there's a slight decline in the last year, but it continue to rise until now. The demand should be high, if not there's no reason for them to open a new ATM machine.

But personally I didn't use it, I feel like it's not safe with my privacy and the fees is ridiculously high. I'd go for no KYC P2P instead, I don't have to go out and I won't need to pay fees as high as in ATMs.

Those who do not support the use of bitcoin ATMs because of privacy issues also do not support the use of bitcoin in payments, because that also causes them to lose their privacy. So how can bitcoin become more popular or popular and become a world currency? I'm not criticizing you but I want to ask those who are not willing to use ATMs or use bitcoin in public. Are they the ones who don't want bitcoin to become popular?
How can we ensure privacy when using bitcoin in public such as in payments?

[coinerer]

Hi guys,

I've been long fascinated with bitcoin ATM machines and love to spot them wherever I go traveling but haven't seen one for a long time in New York – are there any of them left in the city at all?

I keep hearing anecdotal stories of people using them but wonder if they are still considered a good way to buy bitcoin, given the steep fees these machines often charge.

Have you ever used a bitcoin ATM in NYC?

I have not had the chance to use Bitcoin ATM because ATM is not yet available in my country. Bitcoin's ATH will take a long time to roll out globally. However, if the ATM is enabled, it will be possible to remain anonymous when someone goes to cash out bitcoins from the ATM  So in decentralized things I don't like to reveal my identity. So I am not interested for ATM.  For that I am not enthusiastic about it. But it would be great to see if ATM is available around us

[Cryptomultiplier]

Hi guys,

I've been long fascinated with bitcoin ATM machines and love to spot them wherever I go traveling but haven't seen one for a long time in New York – are there any of them left in the city at all?

I keep hearing anecdotal stories of people using them but wonder if they are still considered a good way to buy bitcoin, given the steep fees these machines often charge.

Have you ever used a bitcoin ATM in NYC?

I have not had the chance to use Bitcoin ATM because ATM is not yet available in my country. Bitcoin's ATH will take a long time to roll out globally. However, if the ATM is enabled, it will be possible to remain anonymous when someone goes to cash out bitcoins from the ATM  So in decentralized things I don't like to reveal my identity. So I am not interested for ATM.  For that I am not enthusiastic about it. But it would be great to see if ATM is available around us

I am yet to see a BTC ATM, let alone think of using one. 
In my country these days, people even hardly go to use the ATM machines because they would rather use the point of service terminals which is known as the POS machines and also mobile banking apps has done more to ease the burden of either visiting an ATM, a POS vendor or carrying large cash about.

A country that has BTC ATM machines is one that has allowed its citizens to use and own crypto currency. A place where it is legal to transact with crypto.

 These days we find more regulated crypto agencies springing up and that's an issue in a way to the idea of decentralization that BTC stands to uphold, so if I claim to be an anonymous BTC holder, why would I go to use an ATM that is probably fitted with cameras to identify its users?

[Orpichukwu]

I haven't seen people use them in reality, just in here..

In my country, I have seen receipts from about two people who have used it sometimes years ago when I visited a family friend in Lagos, Nigeria, and there are a few bitcoin ATM machines that are active that people are making use of, but I don't currently know how active they are right now. 
 
The world is very exposed right now, and means to buy bitcoin have been made very easy, so people don't have to waste time walking down to the machine anymore, but rather they can sit in their house and make whatever transaction they want to make it safer. That way, no one will know what you are doing or when you visit the machine.

[umbara ardian]

One of the primary drawbacks associated with BTMS is their inherent fee structure.  Transaction costs levied by BTM operators can significantly erode user profits.  Given the plethora of established cryptocurrency exchanges and user-friendly banking applications offering seamless integration with digital wallets, the convenience factor of BTMs seems to diminish when weighed against the associated costs.

The economic viability of BTMS appears to primarily benefit their owners.  Profit margins hinge on transaction volume, with strategically placed, low-rent locations offering a distinct advantage.  However, in a city like New York with its notoriously high real estate costs, this advantage becomes negligible. So, P2P transactions hold immense appeal, fostering a decentralized marketplace for cryptocurrency exchange.  The concept of a physical location facilitating P2P interactions within a major city like New York is intriguing.

[Captain Corporate]

I do not think that they have the usefulness that people think they may have. Sure there might be "some" benefits to it, but people prefer digital over physical overall anyway so it doesn't get much attention. Doesn't mean that ALL people prefer digital, this is why they are still around, there are few that likes to go and get their coins which makes them still useful to a few people but the overall market doesn't really care about it. We are fine using the exchanges and not really deal with anything else in general. I personally hope that it gets a lot better one way or another, it should be something long gone, and its not which means that it can sustain some more.

[God bless u]

Most people don't use Bitcoin ATMs for security concerns because what if someone is watching or following them and then they are attacked for money? When someone goes to an ATM, those who are watching them while they use a machine would know that they have money on them. So if someone who goes to a Bitcoin ATM is chased for his Bitcoins, that could be a bad thing and it is threatening.

It is much easier to sell the Bitcoins through online P2P platforms and receive the money in your bank account and do the same if you wish to purchase Bitcoins because it is easier and also doesn't charge a lot of fees.

[coolcoinz]

I won't say anything specific abut NY, but I do use bitcoin ATMs all around the EU, especially when I travel. They're very easy to use, usually located in shopping centers. The way I usually use them when I want to withdraw some cash is I send a transaction, go eat something and come back in an hour and the money is waiting for me. Yes, it can take an hour or more if you don't want to overpay for fees.

The downside is mainly the ATM fee itself, which is usually high (usually 3-4%). If you add it to the tx fee tha's like $10, it makes ATM pretty useless when you just need $50 for a meal or a train ticket.