Approximately 1,233 crypto ATMs have been shut down or gone offline this month. This comes after a series of US and UK crackdowns on illegal crypto activity. Days before the ATM disruption, Illinois State Senator Dick Durbin proposed legislation that targets crypto ATM fraud. At the same time, the UK issued its first criminal sentence for running an illegal crypto ATM network. Despite a positive outlook for crypto in the US, with a price rally happening across the globe as Trump paves the way for a crypto reserve.
Despite a series of crackdowns and a tough regulatory backdrop, the crypto world is going from strength to strength. US President, Donald Trump, has announced the first five cryptocurrencies that he would like to be included in his new strategic crypto reserve. This has seen a huge price rally in the crypto world. C>rypto builders, developers, investors, and operators are excited for what is to come. Despite the challenges, there are many exciting projects on the horizon.
For starters, gaming is one of the areas that is booming in the crypto sector. Cryptocurrency gaming is gaining popularity at DisCasino and many other blockchain-powered platforms, due to its speed of payments and enhanced security options. Operators like this continue to innovate in their fields by offering a diverse catalog of games, including slots, table games, and live dealer experiences. Such platforms offer fast and secure withdrawals and anonymous transactions and accept a range of cryptocurrencies.
Whilst there continues to be huge innovation across the globe in the world of cryptocurrency. States in the USA and countries like the UK continue to be wary about cryptocurrency, implementing tough regulatory frameworks and cracking down on criminal activity.
Just last month, in February 2025, the aforementioned Illinois Senator introduced the Crypto ATM Fraud Prevention Act. This is to help eliminate the money laundering associated with crypto ATMs within the state. The UK has also just delivered its first-ever criminal sentence to an operator of a crypto ATM network. Olumide Osunkoya has been sentenced to 4 years in prison for operating unregistered crypto ATMs in 28 different locations. This follows a series of other financial fraud crackdowns in the UK, including recently a man who has been jailed for conning both his partner and HMRC. The UK and the FCA are taking financial crimes in the UK very seriously and doubling down on their efforts to catch both crypto and normal financial crimes.
The domino effect of both of these crackdowns is believed to have caused the outage of 1,233 crypto ATMs across the globe. 1,100 machines are from the USA, which is home to one of the world’s largest crypto ATM networks. Yet, despite this crackdown and multiple machines going offline. The US government moves forward with its plans to utilise and strengthen its position as a world leader in cryptocurrencies.
During Trump’s presidential campaign, he was vocal about his support for cryptocurrencies. This is despite crackdowns from previous administrations. Trump stated that he has signed an order to move forward with a strategic crypto reserve. This will include XRP, SOL, ADA, BTC, and ETH. Since then, prices across all five cryptocurrencies have spiked. It is clear that despite the global crackdown, the USA continues to become a powerhouse in the cryptocurrency world.
