The Year in Bitcoin and Crypto ATMs 2025: Power Tools, Scams and Calls for Action
In 2025, U.S. crypto ATMs came under intense scrutiny due to a surge in scams, particularly targeting older Americans. Reported losses to crypto ATMs reached $246 million—a 99% increase over the previous year—with 43% of victims aged 60 or older. Scams typically involve victims converting cash to crypto at ATMs and sending it to fraudsters posing as officials or tech support. The irreversible nature of crypto transactions and ATM user agreements have made recovering lost funds difficult. Legal actions include lawsuits by attorneys general against major ATM operators for profiting from scams and imposing hidden fees, sometimes up to 26%. In response, some law enforcement officers have seized ATM cash, and several states and cities have passed laws limiting transactions, capping fees, requiring licensing, or even banning ATMs outright. At the federal level, efforts like the proposed Crypto ATM Fraud Prevention Act stalled in Congress. As of November, there were about 30,750 crypto ATMs in the U.S., constituting most global machines. Other countries, such as New Zealand, have enacted national bans to combat crypto ATM-related crime.
