Australia’s nationwide monetary intelligence company has launched new guidelines regarding cryptocurrency ATMs, which embrace setting money deposit and withdrawal limits of AU$5,000 (round US$3,250).
Restrictions on Crypto ATM Operators
In an announcement in the present day (Tuesday), the Australian Transaction Reviews and Evaluation Centre (AUSTRAC) defined that there might be enhanced buyer due diligence necessities, necessary rip-off warnings, and obligations for stronger transaction monitoring.
Whereas AUSTRAC’s guidelines solely apply to crypto ATM operators, it additionally expects native digital foreign money exchanges to contemplate adopting related limits in the event that they settle for money for crypto transactions.
You might also like: 427 Crypto Exchanges Registered in Australia, However Regulator Says Most Are Inactive
The brand new circumstances observe issues raised by the regulator over crypto ATM compliance. AUSTRAC had beforehand arrange an inner activity pressure to focus on cryptocurrency ATMs that weren’t complying with anti-money laundering guidelines.
The company discovered that individuals aged between 60 and 70 had been probably the most frequent customers of crypto ATMs within the nation.
Brendan Thomas, AUSTRAC’s CEO (Photograph: LinkedIn)
“It’s a big concern that individuals on this demographic are overrepresented as prospects utilizing money to buy cryptocurrency and, as proof suggests, that a lot of 60–70-year-old customers are victims of rip-off exercise,” mentioned AUSTRAC’s CEO, Brendan Thomas.
A Large Marketplace for Crypto ATMs
Crypto ATMs work equally to common ATMs however facilitate exchanges between money and cryptocurrency. These transactions typically carry excessive charges.
In line with AUSTRAC, the variety of crypto ATMs in Australia has elevated greater than fifteenfold in two years—from simply 23 in 2019, to 60 in 2022, and over 1,200 in 2024. There are actually greater than 1,800 lively crypto ATMs working throughout the nation.
Knowledge from Coin ATM Radar additionally exhibits that Australia ranks because the third-largest nation by variety of crypto ATM installations. Localcoin is the main supplier, working 753 ATMs, adopted by Coinflip with 700 and Bitcoin Depot with 182.
Learn extra: Aussie Company Investigates Over 50 Remittance and Crypto Exchanges for Reporting Breaches
The regulator additional estimated that almost 150,000 transactions are made yearly by way of these machines, shifting round AU$275 million. The overwhelming majority of these—about 99 per cent—are money deposits used to buy cryptocurrencies, primarily Bitcoin, Tether, and Ethereum.
“Crypto generally is a high-risk funding, however individuals who contemplate and are prepared to simply accept these dangers might discover it a handy choice,” Thomas added. “AUSTRAC will proceed to observe this house and take additional motion the place we see hurt occurring.”
Australia’s nationwide monetary intelligence company has launched new guidelines regarding cryptocurrency ATMs, which embrace setting money deposit and withdrawal limits of AU$5,000 (round US$3,250).
Restrictions on Crypto ATM Operators
In an announcement in the present day (Tuesday), the Australian Transaction Reviews and Evaluation Centre (AUSTRAC) defined that there might be enhanced buyer due diligence necessities, necessary rip-off warnings, and obligations for stronger transaction monitoring.
Whereas AUSTRAC’s guidelines solely apply to crypto ATM operators, it additionally expects native digital foreign money exchanges to contemplate adopting related limits in the event that they settle for money for crypto transactions.
You might also like: 427 Crypto Exchanges Registered in Australia, However Regulator Says Most Are Inactive
The brand new circumstances observe issues raised by the regulator over crypto ATM compliance. AUSTRAC had beforehand arrange an inner activity pressure to focus on cryptocurrency ATMs that weren’t complying with anti-money laundering guidelines.
The company discovered that individuals aged between 60 and 70 had been probably the most frequent customers of crypto ATMs within the nation.
Brendan Thomas, AUSTRAC’s CEO (Photograph: LinkedIn)
“It’s a big concern that individuals on this demographic are overrepresented as prospects utilizing money to buy cryptocurrency and, as proof suggests, that a lot of 60–70-year-old customers are victims of rip-off exercise,” mentioned AUSTRAC’s CEO, Brendan Thomas.
A Large Marketplace for Crypto ATMs
Crypto ATMs work equally to common ATMs however facilitate exchanges between money and cryptocurrency. These transactions typically carry excessive charges.
In line with AUSTRAC, the variety of crypto ATMs in Australia has elevated greater than fifteenfold in two years—from simply 23 in 2019, to 60 in 2022, and over 1,200 in 2024. There are actually greater than 1,800 lively crypto ATMs working throughout the nation.
Knowledge from Coin ATM Radar additionally exhibits that Australia ranks because the third-largest nation by variety of crypto ATM installations. Localcoin is the main supplier, working 753 ATMs, adopted by Coinflip with 700 and Bitcoin Depot with 182.
Learn extra: Aussie Company Investigates Over 50 Remittance and Crypto Exchanges for Reporting Breaches
The regulator additional estimated that almost 150,000 transactions are made yearly by way of these machines, shifting round AU$275 million. The overwhelming majority of these—about 99 per cent—are money deposits used to buy cryptocurrencies, primarily Bitcoin, Tether, and Ethereum.
“Crypto generally is a high-risk funding, however individuals who contemplate and are prepared to simply accept these dangers might discover it a handy choice,” Thomas added. “AUSTRAC will proceed to observe this house and take additional motion the place we see hurt occurring.”
