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It's zany that the Bitcoin ATM ecosystem even exists. We generally don't sell speculative investments at the Kwik-e-Mart. There's no Charles Schwab kiosk next
by hakfoo 2y ago
It's zany that the Bitcoin ATM ecosystem even exists.
We generally don't sell speculative investments at the Kwik-e-Mart. There's no Charles Schwab kiosk next to the hot dog roller. The clerk doesn't ask if I want municipal bonds with my dubious boner pills and Lucky Strikes. The closest thing I can even imagine is forex, and even then, outside of limited trading in Pesos at the Mexican border, that's still "visit the bank and we'll call you back in a week when the envelope full of notes arrives."
Can someone describe what the legitimate market niche it serves? I'd expect that if you're in a situation where you want to use crypto as an investment, or to facilitate non-scam transactions, you have access to the Internet and non-cash payment systems, so you could use a regular exchange.
My guess is that it evolved out of the localbitcoins mindset, and more generally "people who assume typical blockchain is way more private than it is"-- because feeding cash into a kiosk without a formal KYC process is less documented than opening a Coinbase account.
- SnorkelTan 2y agoThe bitcoin atms follow kyc. You have to have an account with a verified identity. Examining the exchange rates offered by these ATMs and the fact that the customers are insensitive to the rates offered by these services will illuminate why these have proliferated.