The Coral Springs City Commission unanimously approved Ordinance No. 2026-115 on Oct. 21. It prohibits cryptocurrency kiosks, commonly known as Bitcoin ATMs, which let users deposit cash and convert it into digital currency.
According to the city, victims in Coral Springs lost nearly $350,000 to scams involving the machines over the past two years. More than half of the local victims were over age 60, and 44% were instructed by scammers to make multiple transactions through the kiosks.
Existing kiosk operators have 60 calendar days from the ordinance's effective date to remove their machines and stop operating. An exception applies to certain written placement contracts signed on or before Aug. 25, 2026. Kiosks under those agreements must be removed when the contracts expire or by Aug. 25, 2027, whichever comes first.
The Florida angle
The ordinance is a Coral Springs law. It does not prohibit residents from legally buying, selling, owning or using cryptocurrency through personal electronic devices or digital wallets. The restriction applies to physical kiosks only.
The city's Code Compliance Division will oversee enforcement. Businesses, property owners and kiosk operators that fail to comply could face code enforcement action and daily fines.
Police Chief Brad Mock credited Detective Chad Whittington and the City Attorney's Office for their work developing the legislation. The FBI reported more than 10,956 complaints involving cryptocurrency kiosks nationwide in 2024, with approximately $247.7 million in losses.