The city of Albuquerque in the United States has passed a law prohibiting the operation of cryptocurrency ATMs and counter trading services within the city
On September 10th, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, passed the Virtual Currency Act O-26-49, which prohibits the operation, custody, or assistance of cryptocurrency ATMs and counter cryptocurrency trading services within its jurisdiction. City Councilor Stephanie W. Telles stated that approximately 90% of such transactions in the area are related to fraud. The regulation requires relevant operators to remove all affected devices within 45 days from the effective date, and individuals and entities who violate the regulations will face cumulative fines. City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn stated that the ban aims to remove physical infrastructure that facilitates fraudulent activities. The ban does not affect residents from holding, owning, mining, and transferring digital assets through other means. The number of cryptocurrency ATMs in the United States has decreased from 38708 to 27945, and Bitcoin Depot has ceased operations. (Source: Bitcoin.com News)