US Bitcoin ATM count drops despite ‘pro-crypto presidency’ – Finbold report

Despite the Trump administration’s pro-crypto stance, including promises to end “regulation by enforcement” and support a national digital asset strategy, Bitcoin ATM numbers in the U.S. are falling.

At the start of 2025, there were 30,119 Bitcoin ATMs across the country. By the end of Q1, that number had dropped by 185 to 29,934, according to data cited in Finbold’s Q1 2025 Cryptocurrency Market Report.

While regulatory pressure may be easing, the decline in Bitcoin ATMs suggests that the industry is still facing serious headwinds.

While the drop, relative to the total number, may appear trivial, the severity of the trend is evident in the fact that worldwide, the number of such Bitcoin machines increased by 279 in Q1, bringing the total at the end of the quarter to 38,001.

Europe’s slow but steady growth

In contrast to the U.S., Europe saw modest growth in Bitcoin ATMs during Q1 2025. The total rose from 1,652 to 1,738, a gain of 86 machines. While the growth isn’t explosive, it shows a continued expansion of crypto access points, especially as European regulators move toward clearer guidelines around digital assets.

Australia saw one of the most significant jumps worldwide. The country added 272 Bitcoin ATMs in just three months growing from 1,385 at the start of January to 1,657 by the end of March. This 20%+ rise signals strong demand and improving infrastructure, likely driven by a growing crypto-curious population and friendlier fintech policies.

Lastly, Canada also posted healthy growth, increasing its total number of Bitcoin ATMs from 3,376 to 3,498, an addition of 122 machines.

Is anti-fraud legislation killing Bitcoin ATMs in the U.S.?

In addition to the drop in the number of installed Bitcoin ATMs, approximately 1,200 such machines went offline in the U.S. in the first week of March, with little explanation. 

The disappearance coincided with Illinois Senator Dick Durbin proposing legislation that would crack down on fraud involving cryptocurrency ATMs. At the time, Durbin cited a case in which one of his constituents was scammed into depositing $15,000 at one such machine to avoid getting arrested due to a fictitious arrest warrant.