Crypto ATMs Just Vanished! Is This the BlockChain’s Biggest Magic Trick? 🎩💰

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So, here’s a plot twist worthy of a daytime soap opera: over 1,200 cryptocurrency ATMs mysteriously shut down across the United States during the first weekend of March. Coincidence? I think not! This happened just days after Illinois Senator Dick Durbin decided it was time to play the role of the crypto knight in shining armor by introducing the Crypto ATM Fraud Prevention Act. Who knew legislation could work faster than a politician’s promise?

On February 25, in a move reminiscent of a grandstanding superhero, Durbin proposed legislation to tackle fraud at crypto ATMs. You’d think he was responding to a personal crisis after one of his constituents lost their life savings to what can only be described as a digital black hole of fraud. Interestingly, this dramatic entrance into the world of cryptocurrency legislation coincided with the installation of 860 shiny new ATMs in the US, as if to say, “Here’s a trap for your money, folks!”

The US is home to the world’s largest crypto ATM network

Needless to say, this sudden surge of ATM closures didn’t exactly cause a seismic shift in the US’s colossal crypto ATM landscape—if anything, it just placed a slightly dented sticker on the hood of a very expensive car. As of March 3, America was still sitting atop the cryptocurrency throne with 29,731 ATMs, accounting for an astonishing 79.9% of all crypto teller machines worldwide. Canada and Australia make up the rest of the remorseful fraternity with 3,085 (8.3%) and 1,467 (3.9%) ATMs. You’ve got to love the shared misery, right?

Despite a worldwide count of 37,226 active cryptocurrency ATMs, the growth has all but flatlined since mid-2022, thanks in no small part to regulatory crackdowns that are stricter than a high school principal with a zero-tolerance policy.

Stagnant crypto ATM growth amid regulatory crackdown

In aftermath, Durbin’s noble legislation would require these ATM operators to flash a warning sign like a neon Vegas billboard alerting users to the potential for scams and—wait for it—the chance to lose their funds. Think of it as a love letter to law enforcement, empowering them with tools to track shady transactions. Because when you think “effective governance,” you definitely think of last-minute measures introduced after the whole hamster has escaped from the wheel.

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2025-03-03 12:13