America Bitcoin ATM, a featured partner of BitcoinATM.news, has been profiled in a feature published by C-Store Dive, one of the leading trade publications covering the convenience retail industry. The article, authored by America Bitcoin founder Chris McAlary, details the company's approach to scam prevention and consumer protection in the Bitcoin ATM space.
Key Takeaway: While headlines about Bitcoin ATM scams have put pressure on the category, America Bitcoin argues that the problem is not the machines themselves but a subset of operators who treated compliance as a checkbox. Their proprietary protocol focuses on stopping suspicious transactions in real time.
Scam Prevention by the Numbers
The C-Store Dive feature highlights America Bitcoin's consumer protection results from their most recent quarter of operations:
How It Works
According to the article, McAlary began implementing enhanced scam-prevention controls in 2022, early in the industry's scam wave, and then founded America Bitcoin ATM to build those controls into the core architecture rather than as an afterthought.
The company's approach includes:
- Real-time fraud detection: A proprietary protocol that identifies suspicious transaction patterns and places holds before funds are lost
- Active intervention: When fraud patterns are detected or when victims and families report concerns, the team verifies and makes direct calls to potential victims
- Around-the-clock support: Live customer support available 24/7, because scammers don't keep business hours
- Proactive holds: Transactions are paused and verified rather than simply processed when red flags appear
Why This Matters for the Industry
The Bitcoin ATM industry is under increasing regulatory scrutiny, with state attorneys general filing lawsuits and municipalities considering outright bans. The C-Store Dive feature argues that the category belongs in retail stores but that not every operator deserves a place on the floor.
The article notes that operators facing scrutiny are those who prioritized speed over safeguards and grew fast while leaving retail partners to answer for the consequences. McAlary argues that consolidation is coming and that the operators who survive will be those who built trust, not just transaction volume.
For Retailers: The article emphasizes that when regulators and journalists cover Bitcoin ATM scams, they don't just name the operator — they name the store. Choosing the right operator partner is a brand protection decision, not just a revenue decision.
Read the Full Article
Read Chris McAlary's complete feature in C-Store Dive for the full details on America Bitcoin's consumer protection approach and what it means for convenience retailers.
Read on C-Store Dive →