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Magyar24 Oct 2026
Albuquerque's Virtual Currency Ordinance took effect on 21 October, banning cryptocurrency kiosks and cashier assisted crypto transactions in the city. Existing bitcoin ATMs must stop operating immediately, and operators have 45 days to remove them.
Bitcoin TradeReviewed News Desk
The city that hosted Breaking Bad has outlawed bitcoin ATMs. Albuquerque, New Mexico, brought its new Virtual Currency Ordinance into force on 21 October, banning cryptocurrency kiosks and any cashier assisted crypto transaction inside city limits.
What the law does
The city council passed the ordinance 6-3 on 9 September, and Mayor Tim Keller signed it. All existing bitcoin ATMs must stop working immediately, and operators have 45 days from the effective date to physically remove them. The city can impose daily fines, revoke licenses and take other action against businesses that host kiosks and do not comply.
Why the city acted
Officials say criminals increasingly use crypto ATMs to defraud vulnerable people, especially the elderly. A common script has scammers posing as government officials, police or utility workers, pressuring victims to feed cash into a kiosk and send the coins to a wallet the scammer controls. Once the crypto is gone, it is very hard to recover. “Scammers are constantly looking for new ways to cheat people out of their money. They’ve added these kiosks to their bag of tricks,” Keller said.
According to U.Today, the FBI has received more than 13,400 complaints about cryptocurrency kiosks, with more than half from people over 50.
Part of a wider crackdown
Several US cities and states have moved to cap transaction amounts, require refunds for scam victims or ban kiosks entirely. Operators argue the machines serve people without bank access and that education and limits work better than bans. Critics point to high fees and weak checks on who is sending funds and why.
What it means for traders
- Kiosks are expensive anyway: crypto ATMs often charge far more than exchanges.
- No real agency asks for crypto: any request to pay police, tax or utility bills via a kiosk is a scam.
- Buy through regulated exchanges with lower fees. See our crypto exchange fee index and exchange comparison.
Sources
News is for information only and is not financial advice. More crypto news
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