Bitcoin ATMs Now Open in Venice and Hollywood

It's official! SoCal now has two Bitcoin ATMs that enable anyone to both buy or sell Bitcoins. Disruptive "Conscious Convenience Store," Locali, continues to shake up the quick-service marketplace with the addition of two ZenBox Bitcoin Kiosks (managed by Santa Monica company ExpressCoin and built by Robocoin) to its Hollywood and Venice Beach locations. We went opening day, Saturday, June 21st, to check it out: 

First off, let's talk a bit about Locali. As a health nut, it brought a smile to my face to learn that the first Bitcoin ATMs would be placed in spot dubbed as a "7-Eleven meets Whole Foods." I had high hopes and was not disappointed when I walked into the Venice location and was greeted by the natural foods grocery section that is the first part of the store. From Ezekiel cereal to non-toxic personal care products, this store has things even I would actually buy!

As well, the food is great. The menu has tons of healthy, cutting-edge, vegan and organic inspired menu options, from quinoa bowls, to hot and cold sandwiches (try the deconstructed BLT!), to smoothies. No wonder the Hollywood Locali has become a hotspot among forward thinking celebrities and foodies, and their breakfast sandwich was named one of LA's 10 Best New Sandwiches. 

Back to Bitcoin: We walked in, met Locali co-founder Melisa Rosen and the ZenBox team who were hanging out for the day, and then got to using the machine. Here's the bummer: The first time you use the ATM, it requires a gov't issued ID like a driver's license, a palm scan and a phone number! Ew, definitely not a fan and I see why Robocoins have earned the nickname "Robocops". But I went through the process to support the community, and to understand for myself how they work. What is cool though, is that the ATM transacts Bitcoin and US dollars both ways- so you could put in cash and get Bitcoin, or sell out of Bitcoin back into USD.  This could be useful when you can't find anyone on LocalBitcoins, though there is a 5% fee, way higher than what you'll normally find on exchanges. 

Ed interviewed by KTLA about Bitcoin ATMs at Locali

More people trickled in opening day, including a photographer from Reuters. And when Ed went to the Hollywood Locali, a team from KTLA was there to cover the story. Check out the video here.

All in all, I think this is a great way to get new people into Bitcoin. We've come back multiple times and last time found a girl buying her very first small amount of Bitcoin, which she probably wouldn't have dived into yet if there weren't a physical ATM. As well, you can buy as little as a $1 worth, so it's a great way to slowly put in $5 every week- maybe ditch your coffee addiction and invest in technology!

So next time you hear someone in L.A. whining about how they want to get into Bitcoin but don't know how, either help them yourself or tell them about the Bitcoin ATMs. There's no excuses now!

Ed explaining Bitcoin to photographer from Reuters.