WASHINGTON—Nearly 30,000 Bitcoin ATMs now dot the American landscape in gas stations, liquor stores and hair salons, up from 1,800 four years ago, according to a new tally.
Moreover, approximately up to half of Coinstar’s 17,000 kiosks, which convert coins into cash, now sell Bitcoin, the Washington Post reported.
“And consumers have a growing array of options for buying, selling and transmitting the digital currency, including popular payment apps such as Venmo and Cash App,” the Post added.
But for all the hype, there’s scant evidence that digital currencies stand on the threshold of some kind of mainstream breakthrough, according to the report.
“While a recent Pew Research Center survey found that 16% of Americans have used cryptocurrency in some way, most buy it as a speculative investment, not for its originally intended purpose: as a way to pay for goods and services,” The Post stated.