The post Are Bitcoin ATMs Being Banned? Minnesota Bill Targets 350 Kiosks After $333M Fraud Crisis appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
Minnesota lawmakers want every Bitcoin ATM in the state gone.
DFL Rep. Erin Koegel introduced House File 3642, a bill that would ban all crypto kiosks statewide and repeal the entire regulatory framework built just two years ago.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce is backing the move, with government relations director Sam Smith confirming the agency “strongly supports HF 3642” and plans to roll out even broader consumer protections in the coming days.
About 350 licensed Bitcoin ATMs from 8-10 companies currently operate across Minnesota. If this bill passes, every single one gets shut down.
Why Minnesota’s 2024 Crypto ATM Laws Weren’t Enough
Minnesota already tried regulating its way out of this problem. A 2024 law set $2,000 daily transaction limits for new customers and required fraud refunds. It didn’t work.
Woodbury Detective Lynn Lawrence told the House Commerce Committee that scammers simply adapted.
“These machines remain one of the most effective tools that scammers are continuing to use to steal money,” she said.
Worse, some victims are now being instructed by scammers to drive to Wisconsin to bypass Minnesota’s limits entirely.
Police Sgt. Jake Lanz described a case where a 78-year-old woman on a fixed income was coerced into sending roughly $80,000 over six months, leaving her facing housing instability.
“These cases, for us to investigate, are incredibly difficult based off how the money moves from the ATM and then transactions that typically lead overseas,” Lanz said.
Bitcoin ATM Scams: A National Problem Growing Fast
The FBI recorded over 12,000 crypto kiosk fraud complaints and $333 million in losses through November 2025 alone, up from $250 million the year before. Adults over 60 accounted for 86% of those losses.
Minnesota is far from alone. Indiana lawmakers voted 7-0 to convert a regulation bill into an outright Bitcoin ATM ban. Iowa’s Attorney General sued both Bitcoin Depot and CoinFlip after finding at least 95% of kiosk transactions in the state were fraudulent. Vermont extended its moratorium on new machines until July 2026.
What Happens Next
The bill only targets physical kiosks. Online crypto transactions remain legal. CoinFlip, which operates 50 kiosks in Minnesota, pushed back, arguing the state should tighten regulations rather than impose a blanket ban.
HF 3642 remains in committee with no vote scheduled yet. But the direction is unmistakable: states are not waiting for Washington to act.
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