Athena to install 1,500 Bitcoin ATMs in El Salvador

The American ATM operator Athena Bitcoin plans to deploy 1,500 devices in El Salvador, Reuters reports.

According to the agency, investment will exceed $1 million. The funds will also go toward expanding the staff and opening a local office to conduct operations.

Matias Goldenhorn, head of Athena Bitcoin’s Latin American division, noted that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele had set the company a “difficult task — 1,500 ATMs.”

1,000? How about 1,500?#BTC♻️🌋🇸🇻 https://t.co/PDApT7M7T5

— Nayib Bukele 🇸🇻 (@nayibbukele) June 16, 2021

“We will pursue this, but step by step. We are a private company, and we want our development in the country to be sustainable,” the company spokesperson said.

According to him, in the first phase Athena Bitcoin will test the business model in the country. Earlier, the operator installed a Bitcoin ATM on El Zonte Beach as part of an experiment.

In June, the Salvadoran parliament passed a bill on recognizing Bitcoin as a legal means of payment.

The opposition called unconstitutional the legalization of digital gold. The initiative also did not elicit a response among local remittance services — only some have integrated Bitcoin support.

As reported, Bukele unveiled the cryptocurrency wallet Chivo and said that every adult resident will receive $30 in Bitcoin after registering in the app.

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