The bitcoin ATM opened on Thursday, 16 July, at Smoke Shop Jersey City. This is the first bitcoin ATM in the state.

Kointron, a bitcoin ATM supplier installed the machine in the Smoke Shop in the busy Journal Square area of Jersey City to attract more clients. The shop is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. The ATM fees vary from 8% to 15% per transaction which is considered to be high for bitcoin businesses. However, Kointron gets only 4%. The average bitcoin ATM charge in North America is 6.14%, according to Coin ATM Radar. Kointron plans to expand to other cities in the state, and then to New York and other states.

After a local online media nj.com wrote about the new bitcoin ATM readers left negative feedback about bitcoin and voiced concerns about fraud, money laundering and high transaction fees. One of the respondents claimed he was a tax accountant in New Jersey with specialisation in digital currencies who commented for Bloomberg on New Jersey tax status of bitcoin. “As for the Bitcoin ATM about to launch, this is an exciting development,” he said.

Two months ago New Jersey lawmakers proposed a bill about regulatory framework and tax breaks for bitcoin companies. Earlier this year New Jersey legislators explored digital currency at the New Jersey Legislature's Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee. 

CoinFox reported earlier about bitcoin ATM installed in Athens recently and about the first bitcoin ATM being installed in the Catalonian University.

Aliona Chapel