First Bitcoin ATMs set to arrive in NYC and South America over the next few weeks

The equipment manufacturer Lamassu is ready to deliver two new Bitcoin ATMs very soon, one in New York City and the other one in Brazil.

The New York Post reports that the Big Apple’s first cryptocurrency machine will be located in the East Village, at the Just Sweet Cafe. The responsible for the good news is Willard Ling, from Brooklyn, who ordered the ATM from Lamassu and chose the bubble tea shop, located on 3rd Avenue and 12th Street, to place it.

However, before the Bitcoin ATM starts operating, the New York Department of Financial Services will have to create new guidelines that can properly regulate this innovation.

The authority will hold public meetings on this subject on January 28th and 29th. According to Coindesk, the meetings will also host debates related to the much awaited ‘BitLicenses’, which are set to be part of a legal framework designed for the field of cryptocurrency.

Until then, Link will be keeping the machine in his apartment, while he also discusses a rent deal with the cafe owners.

Brazilian ATM debuts in São Paulo

But let’s leave New York City aside for now, because there’s similar news in a South-American country. Brazil is set to receive its first Bitcoin ATM at the end of next week, the local exchange Mercado Bitcoin recently announced.

The Lamassu machine will be presented during a São Paulo-based technology event that should attract over 100,000 visitors, the famous Campus Party. According to Rodrigo Batista, Mercado Bitcoin’s CEO, the ATM will be installed at one of the event’s 300 booths.

“The ATM is a way to bring people to Bitcoin. Most of the people at the event, even though it’s a technology audience, will have never heard of [Bitcoin]”, he told Coindesk. The device will be available to the public during the gathering, which occurs from 27th January to 2nd February.

If you’re not familiar with Lamassu’s ATM, this machine assembled in Portugal only converts fiat currency to Bitcoin, but not the other way around. In Brazil, the device will charge a fee of 2.5 percent for each transaction, the same amount charged to Mercado Bitcoin customers.