Quote from: Lucius on August 14, 2020, 11:10:37 AM

If we know that cryptocurrencies in Germany are very well regulated, and that the laws are very favorable for those who buy and sell them, then the data which shows only 50 crypto ATMs that currently exist in the country is a bit unusual. Which would then mean that there really is a very large number of those illegal ATMs that operate outside the law - which again surprises me that it can happen in a country that has (or should at least have) very good measures to prevent such abuses.

It is not at all clear to me that someone can set up an ATM in a mall or at a train station without obtaining all the necessary permits. It is obvious that there are some loopholes in the law that individuals take advantage of, and given the high fees that crypto ATM devices have (5-10 +%), it is not difficult to imagine how much profit there is.

Don't know remember about Germany specifically, but in other countries shitcoins.club generally has lower fees (even negative fees in some rare instances). I have a hard time imagining them not paying the appropriate taxes, too.

And two weeks after your post Germany only has 15 Bitcoin ATMs left (last year they used to have more of them earlier this year e.g.. If a country of 83 million has less than a quarter the number of BTC ATMs that can be found in the nearby Czech Republic (population of less than 11 million), then that's generally a strong suggestion that the laws that are in place in Germany disproportionately oppressive.

Quote from: Jating on August 14, 2020, 11:27:43 AM

On the contrary, it makes bitcoin really favourable for average joe if government like Germany are going to regulated it. And I don't think this is enough to say that it attracts negative public perception.

Average Joe (or Joseph) now has only 15 ATMs to choose from, in Berlin for example, there are only two left and they charge 10-15% to buy BTC.

Quote from: Jating on August 14, 2020, 11:27:43 AM

It's business, any country will shut down anything that is deem illegal, and bitcoin ATM's are no exceptions. The thing is how it is easy to setup a bitcoin ATM, I think ATM manufacture should have a duty to at least check those people who are going to acquire their hardware, check the locations and if they comply to the regulatory body before issues the hardware itself.

It wasn't illegal until Germany adopted new regulations at the beginning of the year which proved overly restrictive for most operators. BTW, dogmatic servility of the kind you're proposing has never done anyone any good.

Quote from: plvbob0070 on August 14, 2020, 12:34:24 PM

why can't they get a license first so they can operate without having problems with the authorities.

If the requirements to obtain the license are so stringent that the number of ATMs dips from 69 to 15 in a matter of months, and the ones that are left have very high fees, then the problem clearly lies in the regulations being overly burdensome.

Quote from: Lauda on August 14, 2020, 02:53:35 PM

This is good as it will protect the consumers from shady ATMs.

Most (if not all) ATMs were seized weren't 'shady' at all. Now the consumer has significantly less options, and the few that remain are more expensive and come with more restrictions.