Robocoin, makers of the world’s first Bitcoin ATM, have announced big plans for the first quarter of this year.
The Las Vegas-based company first made international news when its ATM was installed in a Vancouver coffee house. Now, it has its eyes set on Taiwan and Hong Kong, homes for its next two machines.
In all, 45 Robocoin ATMs will be shipped by March.
The Robocoin ATMs come with a price tag of about $20,000 — four times what Lamassu charges for its machines — but it offers certain features such as scanners for hands and IDs.
UPDATE: It looks as if there will be no Robocoin machines in Taiwan, after all.
Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission has forbidden the installation of Bitcoin ATMs. In a statement, the commission’s chairman, Zeng Mingzong, said:
“Central Bank and FSC recently released a joint statement warning against Bitcoin. According to the Central Bank, Bitcoin is not a currency; financial institutions and the public shouldn’t use it as medium of payment.
“Given Bitcoin’s non-currency status, no bank deposits should made in it, and banks are not allowed to receive or provide (Bitcoins). To install Bitcoin ATMs would require approval from FSC, which will not be given. So it is impossible for a Bitcoin ATM to come to or appear in Taiwan.”
Robocoin had only hours before announced that it would be shipping a unit to Taiwan, having redesigned the machine’s interface for Chinese-speaking customers.
No word yet on the other 38 orders set to ship this month, nor what effect this announcement will have on the Taiwanese Bitcoin scene.