The announcement of two brand-new bitcoin ATMs installed in Tijuana, Mexico has come a bit later than expected, but here we go.
We first talked about these machines just a few days ago, when a company called Bitcoin42 announced plans to install Bitcoin ATMs at the BIT Center in Tijuana.
At the time, we didn’t know much about the machines themselves. But now, the manufacturer has come forth with their own announcement.
They’re California-based Genesis Coin (they’ve got a really good domain name), and they’re proud of their new Genesis1 ATM (pictured above). You’ve likely seen a slew of ATMs (from Lamassu to Robocoin), but these devices differ in that they also allow altcoin transactions like litecoin and dogecoin (yes, dogecoin).
“The Genesis1 is an ATM machine ready for the 21st century, fully capable of supporting the bilateral exchange of multiple cryptographic currencies,” said Genesis Coin Chief Executive Evan Rose.
Bitcoin42 has deployed two of the machines (the first in the world, in fact) — once which will be used for Mexican Pesos, the other for U.S. Dollars (keep in mind that that San Diego is just above the border). Ten percent of profits will be donated to a charity of the customer’s choosing, which the Genesis1 allows users to select.
“We’re confident that Bitcoin ATMs will become an increasingly common technology. The future is here, and it seems like North America is out ahead in that regard,” Rose said. “As a California based company, we are excited to partner with our neighbors to the South in Baja, on this and future projects.”
Genesis Coin says they have more machines coming online around the world in a matter of a few weeks. As for the two in Tijuana; they can be accessed by the general public Monday through Saturday.
When I asked Bitcoin42 about fee structure, a company representative said:
“The fees will be announced later our website. They either will be originated around what the others are charging, but we are working on a special program so low income groups get better prices.”
And if you were interested in operating a Genesis1, each unit starts at $14,500.