At 9 a.m. Vancouver time on October 29, 2013, a kiosk inside Waves Coffee House went live1. The café stood at Howe and Smithe streets, in downtown Vancouver. “An ATM that converts bitcoins to Canadian dollars and vice versa opened for business in a Vancouver coffee shop today, marking a world first,” CBC News reported on October 29.
Robocoin, a Nevada company, made the machine2. Bitcoiniacs, a Vancouver bitcoin shop, installed it. CBC said the two firms would run it together1. Robocoin's founder was Jordan Kelley, SiliconANGLE later reported5. FTC data now tie Bitcoin ATMs to more than $110 million in reported scam losses in 202312.
Who got the credit
Coverage on launch day credited Bitcoiniacs. CBC's subhead called the machine "Bitcoiniacs's kiosk"1. CBC quoted Mitchell Demeter, a Bitcoiniacs co-founder, and named Robocoin as co-operator. AFP described the machine as "delivered to Vancouver by Robocoin, an American manufacturer"3. Both reports left Kelley out.
SiliconANGLE had previewed the machine on October 28, 20132. "It’s the first Bitcoin ATM in the world," Demeter said, in a quote SiliconANGLE's Saroj Kar printed. Kar's own lead was more careful: “Probably the world’s first Bitcoin ATM opens this week in Vancouver, Canada”.
Coin ATM Radar, the industry's own tracker, tells a busier story. Its growth chart counts 6 machines worldwide for October 20138. The United States chart counts 2 for October 20139. Canada's chart also counts 210. The chart dates each count to the first day of the month.
Both sides, in their own words
Did the machines end up serving buyers, or scammers?
“We’ve just arrived in Texas and have already shipped to Seattle, Washington and Alberta, Canada”
“Con artists are evil and will stop at nothing to steal everything you have”
What the machine asked of buyers
The Robocoin kiosk checked identity before it sold bitcoin. Buyers had to scan their palms, and each could exchange up to $3,000 a day, CBC reported1. Cash went in, and the bitcoins moved to the buyer's online wallet. A buyer could also take a paper voucher.
Robocoin sold the checks as its edge. “Rest assured that Robocoin Operators are fully compliant with federal and state law,” its site said in November 20134. The site described a palm scanner, an ID scanner and a webcam that matched a face to the ID photo. “With Robocoin's 3 Step Verification you can buy Bitcoin in under 15 seconds,” the site said.
From one kiosk to 39,241
The machines spread fast. Coin ATM Radar counted 970 crypto ATMs worldwide in January 20178. Its count reached 39,241 in August 2022, the highest monthly figure in the series. By March 9, 2023, the count stood at 37,290.
Crypto ATMs worldwide rose from 970 in January 2017 to a peak of 39,241 in August 2022
Crypto ATMs installed worldwide each month, by Coin ATM Radar's count, in machines
- August 2022, the highest count in the series: 39,241
- Other months in Coin ATM Radar's count
- Height: Crypto ATMs installed
Source: Coin ATM Radar [8].
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Jan 2017 | 970 |
| Feb 2017 | 994 |
| Mar 2017 | 1,074 |
| Apr 2017 | 1,133 |
| May 2017 | 1,195 |
| Jun 2017 | 1,271 |
| Jul 2017 | 1,377 |
| Aug 2017 | 1,450 |
| Sep 2017 | 1,572 |
| Oct 2017 | 1,655 |
| Nov 2017 | 1,818 |
| Dec 2017 | 1,951 |
| Jan 2018 | 2,078 |
| Feb 2018 | 2,232 |
| Mar 2018 | 2,470 |
| Apr 2018 | 2,722 |
| May 2018 | 2,959 |
| Jun 2018 | 3,189 |
| Jul 2018 | 3,417 |
| Aug 2018 | 3,469 |
| Sep 2018 | 3,637 |
| Oct 2018 | 3,784 |
| Nov 2018 | 3,922 |
| Dec 2018 | 4,035 |
| Jan 2019 | 4,113 |
| Feb 2019 | 4,292 |
| Mar 2019 | 4,368 |
| Apr 2019 | 4,475 |
| May 2019 | 4,682 |
| Jun 2019 | 4,840 |
| Jul 2019 | 5,014 |
| Aug 2019 | 5,308 |
| Sep 2019 | 5,384 |
| Oct 2019 | 5,625 |
| Nov 2019 | 5,780 |
| Dec 2019 | 6,043 |
| Jan 2020 | 6,382 |
| Feb 2020 | 6,776 |
| Mar 2020 | 7,145 |
| Apr 2020 | 7,496 |
| May 2020 | 7,778 |
| Jun 2020 | 8,168 |
| Jul 2020 | 8,674 |
| Aug 2020 | 9,160 |
| Sep 2020 | 9,875 |
| Oct 2020 | 10,872 |
| Nov 2020 | 11,759 |
| Dec 2020 | 12,918 |
| Jan 2021 | 14,092 |
| Feb 2021 | 15,156 |
| Mar 2021 | 16,544 |
| Apr 2021 | 18,169 |
| May 2021 | 19,649 |
| Jun 2021 | 21,421 |
| Jul 2021 | 23,254 |
| Aug 2021 | 25,302 |
| Sep 2021 | 26,893 |
| Oct 2021 | 28,899 |
| Nov 2021 | 30,907 |
| Dec 2021 | 32,909 |
| Jan 2022 | 34,676 |
| Feb 2022 | 35,667 |
| Mar 2022 | 36,461 |
| Apr 2022 | 37,116 |
| May 2022 | 37,384 |
| Jun 2022 | 38,202 |
| Jul 2022 | 38,936 |
| Aug 2022 | 39,241 |
| Sep 2022 | 38,840 |
| Oct 2022 | 38,950 |
| Nov 2022 | 39,106 |
| Dec 2022 | 39,168 |
The United States took most of them. Coin ATM Radar counted 95 machines there in January 20159. By January 2023, it counted 32,533. That is about 84 percent of the 38,849 machines worldwide in January 2023, by The CryptoLately.com Desk's arithmetic8. Canada, home of the Waves kiosk, held 2,561 in January 202310.
The U.S. held 32,533 of the world's 38,849 crypto ATMs in January 2023; Canada held 2,561
Crypto ATMs worldwide, in the U.S. and in Canada each January, by Coin ATM Radar's count
- Worldwide
- United States
- Canada
- Height: Crypto ATMs installed
Sources: Coin ATM Radar [8]; Coin ATM Radar [9]; Coin ATM Radar [10].
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Worldwide | United States | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 331 | 95 | 69 |
| 2016 | 505 | 195 | 83 |
| 2017 | 970 | 566 | 133 |
| 2018 | 2,078 | 1,221 | 313 |
| 2019 | 4,113 | 2,310 | 623 |
| 2020 | 6,382 | 4,225 | 684 |
| 2021 | 14,092 | 11,507 | 1,035 |
| 2022 | 34,676 | 30,472 | 2,141 |
| 2023 | 38,849 | 32,533 | 2,561 |
The United States count then fell. Coin ATM Radar's chart shows 32,258 machines for February 2023 and 28,570 for March9. In May 2023, Bitcoin Depot ran the most machines on its operator chart, 6,30611. CoinFlip ran 4,034.
What happened to Robocoin
Robocoin reached the United States in February 20145. “We’ve just arrived in Texas and have already shipped to Seattle, Washington and Alberta, Canada,” Kelley said, as SiliconANGLE reported in February 2014.
In January 2015, rumors said the company was leaving hardware6. Kelley answered in an interview with CoinDesk's Pete Rizzo, published January 30, 2015. “Our core business has been bringing bitcoin to the world. That means that we allow customers to easily buy and sell bitcoin via ATMs and kiosks. Our business hasn’t changed, it isn’t changing,” Kelley told CoinDesk in 2015.
By January 2016, Robocoin had become Romit, a remittance service7. Romit told customers on January 15, 2016 that it was ending its bitcoin services. CoinDesk's Stan Higgins summed up the arc. “As Robocoin, the firm was one of the first entrants in the bitcoin ATM space, a position that eroded amid criticism from operators about hardware and software issues, as well as allegations that refunds were being purposefully withheld,” he wrote.
The case for the kiosk
Kelley pitched the kiosk as a way in for newcomers. “Now we’re building a global infrastructure of passionate and dedicated Robocoin operators who are all fully aligned with the mission of making bitcoin safe and accessible to the masses,” Kelley said in February 2014, as SiliconANGLE reported5. “Robocoin is completely removing bitcoin’s barriers to entry and helping bring bitcoin into the real world,” he added.
Bitcoin Depot, North America's largest Bitcoin ATM operator by Banking Dive's description, made a similar case in May 202616. Its CEO, Alex Holmes, said the company “has continued to strengthen its protocols and procedures to combat fraud and protect the customers who use its BTMs, including enhanced identity verification [and] customer fraud warnings,” Banking Dive reported. BTM is the industry's short name for a Bitcoin ATM.
The case against
Regulators count a different set of users. “Since 2020, the amount consumers reported losing has increased nearly tenfold to over $110 million in 2023,” the Federal Trade Commission said on September 3, 202412. The FTC described how the scams end. “As soon as consumers scan a QR code provided by scammers at the machine, their cash is deposited straight into the scammers’ crypto account,” its release said.
Older users carry much of the cost. The FTC also studied reports from the first half of 202413. People 60 and over were more than three times as likely as younger adults to report a loss at a Bitcoin ATM. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center logged 10,956 complaints about crypto ATMs and kiosks in 202414. Those complaints reported $246.7 million in losses. People over 60 filed 2,674 of them and reported $107,206,251 in losses.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced lawsuits against Bitcoin Depot and CoinFlip on February 26, 202515. Her office said Iowans sent more than $20 million through their machines in under three years. “Con artists are evil and will stop at nothing to steal everything you have,” Bird said. “We already know that they target older Iowans, but now it seems that they even hunt through obituaries to target widows. They convince these older women that they need help, and then send their victims to crypto ATMs. And the crypto ATM companies take a cut of the profits,” she added. Bitcoin Depot takes a 23 percent cut of the money Iowans send, and CoinFlip claims 21 percent, her office said.
What to watch
Laws and a bankruptcy court now shape the kiosk business. On May 20, 2026, Banking Dive reported that Bitcoin Depot had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy16. Bitcoin Depot said it will wind down its network of more than 9,000 ATMs. Tennessee became the second state, after Indiana, to outlaw the machines, Banking Dive reported. The Iowa lawsuits allege hidden fees and, against Bitcoin Depot, a deceptive refund policy15. Their outcome will show whether operators answer for scams run through their machines.
Sources
- CBC News, "World's first bitcoin ATM opens in Vancouver," Oct. 29, 2013, https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/world-s-first-bitcoin-atm-opens-in-vancouver-1.2286877
- Saroj Kar, "Bitcoin's first ATM makes appearance in Vancouver this week," SiliconANGLE, Oct. 28, 2013, https://siliconangle.com/2013/10/28/bitcoins-first-atm-makes-appearance-in-vancouver-this-week/
- AFP, "'World's first' bitcoin ATM opens in Canada," Dawn, Oct. 30, 2013, https://www.dawn.com/news/1052890
- Robocoin, "Robocoin: Bitcoin's First ATM" (home page), Internet Archive capture of Nov. 3, 2013, https://web.archive.org/web/20131103181833/https://www.robocoinkiosk.com/
- Saroj Kar, "Seattle and Austin get the crown of first US cities to pioneer Bitcoin ATMs," SiliconANGLE, Feb. 25, 2014, https://siliconangle.com/2014/02/24/seattle-and-austin-get-the-crown-of-first-us-cities-to-pioneer-bitcoin-atms/
- Pete Rizzo, "Bitcoin ATM Maker Robocoin Hints at Software Shift," CoinDesk, Jan. 30, 2015, https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2015/01/30/bitcoin-atm-maker-robocoin-hints-at-software-shift
- Stan Higgins, "Former ATM Maker Robocoin Ends Bitcoin Services," CoinDesk, Jan. 15, 2016, https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2016/01/15/former-atm-maker-robocoin-ends-bitcoin-services
- Coin ATM Radar, "Bitcoin ATM Installation Growth," Internet Archive capture of March 9, 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20230309115417/https://coinatmradar.com/charts/growth/
- Coin ATM Radar, "Bitcoin ATM Installation Growth in United States," Internet Archive capture of April 2, 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20230402112450/https://coinatmradar.com/charts/growth/united-states/
- Coin ATM Radar, "Bitcoin ATM Installation Growth in Canada," Internet Archive capture of April 9, 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20230409110023/https://coinatmradar.com/charts/growth/canada/
- Coin ATM Radar, "Top 10 Bitcoin ATM Operators," Internet Archive capture of May 23, 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20230523095201/https://coinatmradar.com/charts/top-operators/
- Federal Trade Commission, "New FTC Data Shows Massive Increase in Losses to Bitcoin ATM Scams," Sept. 3, 2024, https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/09/new-ftc-data-shows-massive-increase-losses-bitcoin-atm-scams
- Federal Trade Commission, "Bitcoin ATMs: A payment portal for scammers" (Data Spotlight), Sept. 3, 2024, https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/2024/08/bitcoin-atms-payment-portal-scammers
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, "2024 IC3 Annual Report," https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2024_IC3Report.pdf
- Iowa Attorney General, "Attorney General Bird Sues Crypto ATM Companies for Costing Iowans More than $20 Million," Feb. 26, 2025, https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/newsroom/attorney-general-bird-sues-crypto-atm-companies-for-costing-iowans-more-than-20-million
- Daniel Muñoz, "Bitcoin Depot files for bankruptcy as crypto ATMs go offline," Banking Dive, May 20, 2026, https://www.bankingdive.com/news/bitcoin-depot-bankruptcy-chapter-11-atm-wind-down/820755/