As the world increasingly moves towards a cashless society, there is one group of machines that still relies on good old-fashioned paper money: Bitcoin ATMs. These devices let users exchange fiat currency for cryptocurrency, and they have become increasingly popular over the past few years. But as Bitcoin prices have plummeted in 2018, are people still using these machines
Bitcoin ATMs were first introduced in 2013, and there are now over 3000 of them around the world. The majority of them are located in North America, but they can be found in Europe, Asia, and even Africa.
They are most commonly used to buy Bitcoin, but some also allow users to sell their cryptocurrency for cash.
So far this year, the number of Bitcoin ATMs has increased by 30%. This is likely due to the fact that the price of Bitcoin has fallen by over 50% since January.
With the price of Bitcoin falling, more people are likely to want to convert their fiat currency into cryptocurrency in order to avoid losing money.
Despite the increase in Bitcoin ATMs, the number of people using them has not increased at the same rate. This is likely because many people are put off by the high fees charged by most machines.
On average, a Bitcoin ATM charges around 8% per transaction. This means that if you want to buy $100 worth of Bitcoin, you will end up paying $108.
To make matters worse, most Bitcoin ATMs only allow you to buy a limited amount of cryptocurrency. This is because they are designed for small transactions rather than large investments.
If you want to buy a large amount of Bitcoin, you will either need to use multiple ATMs or find a machine that allows you to do so.
Despite the high fees and limited amounts, there are still some people who prefer to use Bitcoin ATMs instead of exchanges. This is because they offer a more convenient and user-friendly way to buy cryptocurrency.
Exchange platforms can be confusing for newcomers, and they often require users to go through a lengthy verification process before they can start trading.
Bitcoin ATMs also have the advantage of being available 24/7. exchanges are only open during business hours, which means that if you want to buy or sell Bitcoin outside of these times, you will need to use an ATM.
Overall, it seems that Bitcoin ATMs are still popular despite the falling price of Bitcoin. However, their high fees and limited amounts mean that they are not suitable for everyone. If you want to buy or sell a large amount of cryptocurrency, it is probably better to use an exchange platform instead.