As activities towards cryptocurrencies increase worldwide, there is a proportional increase in crimes related to them.
There are approximately 30,000 Bitcoin ATMs worldwide, of which 87% are located in the USA, with the majority in Europe.
While the rapid increase in the number of Bitcoin ATMs continues, it was stated that a Bitcoin ATM was stolen in Spain.
The incident, which took place in Barcelona, took place on 12 November at around 03:00. It was stated that the ATM, located at the exit of a stock exchange belonging to the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, was stolen by 6 robbers.
While the police did not make a statement about the investigation, it was not disclosed how much cash was inside the ATM.
There are currently 158 Bitcoin ATMs in Spain. In Turkey, this number is known to be 9.
Bitcoin ATMs are becoming increasingly popular as they allow users to purchase cryptocurrencies for cash. It is evaluated that ATMs, which are becoming increasingly common in gas stations and markets in the USA, can play a major role in the adoption and spread of cryptocurrencies.
The fact that users can make certain amounts of transfers through these ATMs using only a mobile phone number has been criticized for not meeting KYC and AML requirements.