MADRID, Nov 12 (Reuters) – Spanish police are investigating the theft of a ‘bitcoin ATM’ in a raid on a cryptocurrency trade outlet in a rich Barcelona neighbourhood, native media reported on Friday.
Bitcoin ATMs permit prospects to buy cryptocurrency utilizing money or a debit card, whereas some additionally let customers to trade their crypto holdings for money.
In accordance with knowledge from the Coin ATM radar web site, which tracks the situation of crypto ATMs, Spain has 158 such machines, the very best quantity in Europe.
Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra police drive stated an ATM had been stolen at round 3 a.m. and declined to offer any extra info to keep away from hindering the investigation.
Citing police sources, EFE information company stated thieves took the bitcoin ATM from a store on Beethoven road within the Sarria space, dwelling to a department of the GBTC cryptocurrency trade.
GBTC didn’t return a number of requests for remark and the police declined to verify the precise location of the theft.
An unverified video purporting to indicate the crime confirmed an SUV ramming into the closed shutters of the GBTC storefront earlier than half a dozen or so individuals in hoods carried the money machine right into a second automobile ready on the road.
One of many assailants sprayed a hearth extinguisher at onlookers as the 2 automobiles sped off into the night time.
Reporting by Nathan Allen; Modifying by Toby Chopra
Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
