The first cryptocurrency ATM was a Robocoin machine installed in Vancouver in 2013.
The machine began operating at Waves Coffee House on 29 October 2013. It allowed users to exchange Canadian dollars for bitcoins and, in some cases, bitcoins for cash. The launch made cryptocurrency accessible through a familiar type of physical financial kiosk.
Robocoin’s system used identity verification, reflecting the regulatory expectations surrounding cash-like transactions. Its arrival helped popularize the idea that people could buy cryptocurrency without using an online exchange.
A common confusion is treating every early Bitcoin kiosk as an ATM. Some machines were one-way kiosks that only sold bitcoin, while Robocoin’s original model supported two-way transactions. Modern cryptocurrency ATMs vary widely in their supported assets, limits, and identity requirements.