HODL Bitcoin ATMs

Exchange cash and bitcoin instantly

Operator of Bitcoin ATMs in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, USA

WHAT IS BITCOIN?

Bitcoin is a type of digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank. Nobody owns the Bitcoin network much like no one owns the technology behind email. Bitcoin is controlled by all Bitcoin users around the world.

Bitcoin payments are easier to make than debit or credit card purchases, and can be received without a merchant account. Payments are made from a wallet application, either on your computer or smartphone, by entering the recipient's address, the payment amount, and pressing send. To make it easier to enter a recipient's address, many wallets can obtain the address by scanning a QR-code or touching two phones together with NFC technology.

WHAT DO I NEED IN ORDER TO USE YOUR ATM?

In order to use our machines, you will need to provide a cell phone number capable of receiving SMS messages. For larger trades, you will also need to scan your government issued ID at the ATM. Finally, you will need a wallet app on your phone capable of sending and receiving bitcoin. You will also need cash. Our machines do not accept debit or credit cards. Cash only.

Do you accept debit and credit cards?

Our machines only accept cash. Debit and credit cards are not accepted.

WHAT IS A QR-CODE AND WHY DO I NEED ONE?

A QR-code is a square barcode that can be read by the scanner on our machines as well as apps on smartphones using the camera. Bitcoin addresses consist of 26-35 alphanumeric characters and are case sensitive. Therefore, it can be extremely difficult to enter the full Bitcoin address manually without making a mistake. In order to communicate bitcoin addresses quickly and accurately, QR-codes are utilized. When you press “Receive” in your Bitcoin wallet app, a QR-code should appear. We have included an example of one here so you know what to look for.

An example QR-code

An example QR-code

CAN I SELL BITCOIN ALSO?

Some of our machines are one-way machines, meaning that they can only accept cash and dispense cryptocurrency. Some of them are two-way, meaning that they can also dispense cash, allowing you to sell cryptocurrency to our machines. We specify the capabilities of each machine on our locations page. Please make sure to visit the location that meets your needs.

WHERE ARE YOUR ATM'S LOCATED?

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RECEIVE MY BITCOIN?

Bitcoin from our kiosks is sent immediately, but occasionally during times of network congestion, there can be delays of twenty minutes or less from the time of payment. You will need to wait for the transaction to be confirmed on the blockchain before the bitcoin will be spendable. This generally may take between 5 and 30 minutes, but can take longer depending on the level of traffic on the Bitcoin network.

During times of extreme network traffic, there may be an additional confirmation delays of 1-2 hours experienced when sending bitcoins. In these situations, a message will be visible on our machines informing customers of such a delay prior to making any transaction. These delays are caused by a large backlog of unconfirmed transactions on the bitcoin network and are not unique to HODL Bitcoin ATMs in any way.

HOW MUCH BITCOIN CAN I BUY/SELL PER DAY?

Our machines allow you to buy or sell up to $999 per day by providing a phone number capable of receiving SMS messages.

By providing your phone number and scanning your government issued ID at one of our machines, we will be able to transact up to $2,900 per day.

We can accommodate trades of up to $15,000 with additional identity verification (including obtaining a Social Security Number).

WHAT BITCOIN WALLETS DO YOU RECOMMEND?

Any bitcoin wallet app will work with our machines, but here are a couple of options for you to check out:

Google Play Store:

Apple App Store:

Important: After installing a wallet app, the app will ask you to go through a process to make a backup of your wallet. This process often involves getting out a pen and paper and writing down a series of words (known as the “seed words”) that can be used to recover your funds if your phone is lost or damaged. It is important to complete this step prior to loading a significant amount of bitcoin onto your wallet, and also to keep this list of words in a safe place where it cannot be accessed by anyone else.

Also important: Some of these bitcoin wallet apps, such as BRD, work with multiple different types of cryptocurrencies. You will need to make sure that you select the correct cryptocurrency when you open the app. Make sure you select Bitcoin (orange logo) if you want to buy bitcoin. We often see customers get confused and select Bitcoin Cash or something else entirely, which causes our machine to not recognize their QR code.

CAN I USE YOUR MACHINES TO SEND MONEY TO SOMEONE ELSE?

Due to money transmission rules in states that we operate in, we are only allowed to sell bitcoin directly to the customer with no third parties. For this reason, you cannot use our machines to send money to another person. Upon scanning your wallet QR-code, the machine will inquire whether the wallet address you scanned is controlled by you or someone else. If you respond that the wallet address belongs to someone else, the machine will not allow the transaction to proceed.

If you want to send money to someone else, you still can. You simply need to download your own bitcoin wallet app and receive the bitcoin yourself. Afterwards, you are free to send it to whatever bitcoin address you wish.

DO YOU TRADE ANY OTHER CRYPTOCURRENCIES?

All of our machines support Bitcoin. Support for other cryptocurrencies is coming very soon!

What fee do you charge?

All of our machines charge fees according to the following schedule:

Bitcoin Purchases $1-$2,999: 17% (+$8)
Bitcoin Purchases $3,000-$5,999: 16% (+$8)
Bitcoin Purchases $6,000-$9,999: 15%
Bitcoin Purchases $10,000-$15,000: 14%

Bitcoin Sales (Cash Withdrawals): 10%

I am having trouble scanning my ID at the machine. Can you help?

Generally, driver’s licenses have a barcode on the back that allow them to be read by a scanner. When prompted, hold your driver’s license under the red light so the machine can read the barcode.

In the event that your driver’s license is scratched, our machines may have difficulty reading the barcode. If you are having difficulty getting it to scan, please take a picture of your driver’s license (front and back) as well as a ‘selfie’ of you holding your driver’s license. E-mail these images to us and include your name and phone number in your e-mail. We will manually add the license to your account.

© HODL ATM, LLC 2018-2024