Albuquerque has banned Bitcoin ATMs, requiring operators to remove them within 45 days

The city council of Albuquerque, New Mexico, passed an ordinance on Wednesday prohibiting the operation of cryptocurrency ATMs (cryptocurrency vending machines) within the city limits, while also banning cashier-assisted virtual currency transactions. The city government will notify known operators and retailers hosting the machines, requiring them to remove the relevant equipment within 45 days.

The ordinance was jointly initiated by District 1 Councilor Stephanie Telles and District 7 Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn. Telles stated that 90% of cryptocurrency ATM transactions in Albuquerque are related to fraud, claiming that these machines are primarily exploited by scammers, organized crime, and human traffickers due to the instant, anonymous, and irreversible nature of transactions. Fiebelkorn remarked that we cannot wait for federal regulators to resolve the crisis. The city council emphasized that residents can still freely hold, mine, and transfer cryptocurrencies through online exchanges and personal wallets.

In terms of background, Indiana banned such machines statewide in March, Tennessee in July, and Minnesota in August; Delaware has advanced related legislation, New Jersey is considering it, and Texas is also brewing a ban. One of North America's largest operators, Bitcoin Depot, filed for bankruptcy protection in May and removed about 9,700 machines. According to data from the FBI, nearly 11,000 complaints of vending machine fraud were received in 2024, involving amounts exceeding $246 million.