Security

Albuquerque bans crypto ATMs

Photo: Adobe Stock

September 11, 2026

Summarize with

The Albuquerque, New Mexico City Council has banned crypto ATMs, along with cashier cryptocurrency transactions. The ordinance, O-26-49, was set in place to protect residents from scams, according to a press release.

The ordinance bans installing, operating, or hosting any crypto ATM, along with cashier-facilitated transaction where a cashier or clerk collects cash for a cryptocurrency provider. All operators must remove crypto ATMs by 45 days of the effective date of the ordinance.

"Let's be honest about what these cryptocurrency kiosks really are: A conduit for exploitation and crime," Stephanie W. Telles, city councilor, said in the release. "No one who legitimately exchanges or transmits virtual currency uses these kiosks, because the high fees make them a ripoff. So, who does? Scammers, organized crime, and human traffickers because the transactions are instant, anonymous, and impossible to reverse once the cash disappears. When 90% of crypto ATM transactions in Albuquerque are tied to fraud, that's not a financial service, it's a crime scene."

Albuquerque joins several states and localities that have banned crypto ATMs.