What's believed to be the first bitcoin ATM in North Alabama is now operational at a Huntsville business.

Animal Care Clinic, a Huntsville veterinary clinic on South Memorial Parkway, is home to the ATM, which allows conversions between bitcoin and cash.

bitcoin is a digital currency used for online payments which is now moving into traditional retail.

Ricky Esneault, CEO of online pet product retailer Veterinary Internet Company, partnered with BitPay of Atlanta to make the ATM available. It took about a month to get the machine located there.

"There's a good amount of foot traffic there and it's easy to get in and out of," he said. "North Alabama didn't really have one, so it seemed a good location."

The machine will eventually be updated to accommodate other cryptocurrencies.

EasyBit, the ATM provider, charges between 10 to 15 percent markup for bitcoin purchases, and a 5 to 10 percent markup on bitcoin sales.