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Bitcoin cashes in as its first ATM opens in Vancouver
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A silver and blue ATM, perched up next to the espresso bar in a trendy Vancouver coffee shop, could launch a new era for the virtual currency bitcoin, offering an almost instant way to exchange the world's leading virtual money for cash. The value of a bitcoin soared from $13 in January to a high of $266 in April as more businesses and consumers used them to buy and sell online. Some investors are also treating bitcoins like gold, using them to hedge against currency fluctuations and speculating on their rise. The kiosk, which looks like the average ATM but with hand and barcode scanners, opened for business on Tuesday and by mid-morning people were lined up to swap their bitcoins for cash, or to deposit cash to buy more bitcoins. "It's as easy as walking up to a machine, scanning your hand, entering some cash and buying bitcoin," said Jordan Kelley, chief executive of Las Vegas-based Robocoin, the company that builds the ATMs. "With this, it's a 2-minute process. For any online exchange, it's at least two days." Bitcoins, currently worth about $210 each, can be transferred without going through banks or clearing houses, thereby cutting fees. Users can buy products and services online or in a handful of stores, including the Waves coffee shop where the ATM is located. With the bitcoin ATM, users scan their hand to confirm identity, then funds move to or from a virtual wallet on their smartphone. The system limits transfers to $1,000 a day, in an effort to curb money laundering and other fraud. Bitcoiniacs, the local dealer that operates the ATM, will roll out four other kiosks across Canada in December. Robocoin said Canada was the ideal place to launch the kiosk due to a critical mass of users and less stringent oversight than in the US, where the bitcoin trade is monitored by anti-money laundering regulators. "We think the Vancouver market is enormous and we're excited to be here," said Kelley. "By the end of 2013, we'll be all over Canada. By the end of 2014, we'll be all over the world, including the US." Bitcoin is not a recognised currency in Canada, so Ottawa's anti-money laundering watchdog, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre, does not monitor its trade. However, Bitcoiniacs' founders say they are working with the agency to be ready for when Canada does start regulating them. "We're already being proactive in our business," said Bitcoiniacs co-founder Mitchell Demeter. "We abide by any guidelines they would impose - which includes the 'know your customer' laws and anti-money laundering laws." Bitcoins were launched in 2008 and are traded within a global network of computers. They are not backed by a single company or government, but their release is tightly controlled, mimicking a central banking system's control over the minting of money. Bitcoins can be bought with near anonymity, which supporters say lowers fraud risk and increases privacy. But critics say that also makes bitcoins a magnet for drug transactions, money-laundering and other illegal activities. The currency's reputation took a hit this month, when US regulators shut down Silk Road, an online marketplace used to buy and sell illegal drugs, and seized $3.6m (£2.3m) in bitcoins. But the virtual currency is gaining hold among businesses and consumers, a key step to a bigger role. "I think it's definitely going mainstream," said Demeter. "I think as things progress, and the infrastructure is built, it will become easier for people to buy and sell, and so more people will start using it." In Vancouver, for example, dozens of people attend weekly bitcoin meet-ups and a member co-op is promoting the currency to a growing list of local retailers. At Waves, Vancouver resident Chung Cheong used bitcoin to pay for his mug of tea and was happy to mull over the future of the digital currency. "It's been said that we're at the stage where email was in 1992," he said. "Is it risky? Sure. But look at how the internet and email changed the world." |
在溫哥華一家時髦的咖啡店內(nèi),一臺機身主體顏色為銀色和藍色的比特幣機被放置在意式咖啡機旁,此機器可以為比特幣這種全球領(lǐng)先的虛擬貨幣提供即時兌換業(yè)務(wù),可能為其開辟新紀元。 由于不少商家和消費者開始使用比特幣在網(wǎng)上進行交易,比特幣的兌換價格由一月的13美元迅速上漲至四月的266美元。一些投資者將比特幣視為黃金,用其對抗貨幣的通脹以及進行投機行為。 這一取款機從外表上看與普通的取款機并無差異。不過,該機器配置手掌和條形碼掃描儀,以滿足消費者進行比特幣兌換現(xiàn)金以及用現(xiàn)金購買比特幣的需求。據(jù)悉,該機器推出當天上午就有許多人排隊前來辦理業(yè)務(wù)。
比特幣現(xiàn)在的兌換價值是210美元,人們不用去銀行和清算公司也能轉(zhuǎn)賬,因此減少了額外的費用。消費者在網(wǎng)上或少數(shù)商店內(nèi)可以使用比特幣消費,包括放置比特幣ATM機的海浪咖啡店。
負責運營該機器的加拿大本地交易商Bitcoiniacs稱,其他四臺機器計劃于12月在加拿大境內(nèi)面世。而Robocoin稱,加拿大推出比特幣ATM機,是因為該地區(qū)使用比特幣活躍,且監(jiān)管較輕松。在美國,比特幣交易由反洗錢機構(gòu)監(jiān)管。
比特幣在加拿大并不是公認的貨幣,因此渥太華反洗錢監(jiān)管機構(gòu)——金融交易和報告分析中心不對比特幣交易進行監(jiān)管。
“我們現(xiàn)在對自己業(yè)務(wù)的積極性很高”,Bitcoiniacs的聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人米歇爾?迪米特稱,“我們將遵守所有條例,包括‘了解客戶’的規(guī)定和反洗錢法”
本周比特幣的名聲受到了打擊,美國監(jiān)管機構(gòu)關(guān)閉了絲綢之路網(wǎng)站并沒收其360萬比特幣(合230萬英鎊),因其涉及網(wǎng)絡(luò)毒品交易。
舉例來說,在溫哥華,每周有數(shù)十人參與比特幣的見面會,消費合作社正將比特幣推廣至更多當?shù)亓闶凵獭?/p> 海浪咖啡內(nèi),溫哥華的居民張聰正使用比特幣買茶,考慮到虛擬貨幣的前景他表示很樂觀。 “據(jù)說我們又處于在1992年剛發(fā)明郵件的狀態(tài)了,”他說,“虛擬貨幣有風險嗎?當然有。但回首網(wǎng)絡(luò)和郵件給世界帶來的變化,一切都是值得的?!?/p> (譯者 angelyes 編輯 丹妮) |
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