Bitcoin ATM coming to largest mall in North America

The West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada, recently unveiled a new Bitcoin ATM. The mall is the largest in North America, and serves as a major tourism destination in Alberta, with 30.8 million shoppers passing through its doors every year. The Robocoin-made ATM is the first in the region, and is owned and operated by BitNational. Robocoin made headlines last week for the launch of its first ATM in Austin, Texas, which the company claims was the first in the United States.

While no merchants at the West Edmonton Mall currently accept Bitcoin, the presence of the attention-grabbing ATM may inspire a few of the 800 retailers to try out the virtual currency. BitNational co-CEO Drew Glover told CoinDesk that the enthusiasm of the mall’s management was an important part of their decision to launch their first ATM there.

The excitement from the mall was the thing that initiated it all. We sent them a one-page letter regarding the current status of bitcoin, and we had an interview with them in two days.”

BitNational representatives will be on hand during the launch, likely following the model of other newly launched Bitcoin ATMs. The first Canadian Bitcoin ATM, also made by Robocoin, made over $1 million in transactions in the first month at a decidedly lower-traffic location in a Vancouver coffeeshop. The West Edmonton Mall ATM is the only current listing on BitNational’s site, although the company has announced plans of expanding at a “rapid level” as interest in Bitcoin increases.