Slovenia Gets First Bitcoin ATM

Business, / By STA, T. M.

The first bitcoin ATM in Slovenia was inaugurated in Ljubljana on Tuesday. The machine set up by Bitnik, a company dedicated to promoting bitcoin as a viable currency in Slovenia, is placed in Trezor hostel in Čopova street.



Photo: STA "Our next step is to persuade sellers that bitcoin is a good currency," Bitnik boss Peter Trček told the STA. To start with, the machine was loaded with 16 bitcoins at EUR 379 apiece, which is slightly more than the EUR 351 at Bitstamp, the biggest bitcoin exchange. Interestingly, Bitstamp was established and is headed by two Slovenians. Currently, only around 50 companies accept bitcoin as currency in Slovenia, according to Coinmap.com. However, a look at the frequency of bitcoin-related searches by Google users in Slovenia indicates a positive trend for the future, as the country places ninth in the world. Moreover, the first international bitcoin conference is set to be held in Ljubljana in September, according to Ajda Es of Bitnik.

Tags: Slovenia, bitcoin, Bitnik, currency, ATM