The new ATMs will allow the public to exchange Bitcoin for cash or deposit cash to purchase additional Bitcoin.
Robocoin announced that the first ATMs in the United States that will be able to make transactions with the digital currency Bitcoin will be installed in February.
The systems will be installed in Seattle and Austin, Texas, and will be similar to standard ATMs. Their main difference, according to Reuters, will be that they will have a built-in scanner that will be able to “read” documents that verify the user’s identity, such as a driver’s license or passport. The new ATMs will allow the public to exchange Bitcoin for cash or deposit cash to purchase additional Bitcoin.
Bitcoin was introduced in 2008 and transactions were made over a global computer network. The “currency” is not backed by any company or government and therefore does not have any capital support. However, its issuance is strictly controlled, imitating the control exercised by real central banks. Today, its value has increased significantly, since last September one Bitcoin was worth $ 150, while today its value has risen to $ 636. With Bitcoin, Internet users can make purchases of products and services.
Las Vegas-based Robocoin installed its first Bitcoin ATM in Vancouver, Canada, just last fall. Installations in Hong Kong and Taiwan followed, and the company plans to expand to more cities in Canada and the United States, Asia, and Europe.
