Bitcoin is a decentralized form of digital currency that is created and held electronically. Bitcoins are not printed fiat currency like dollars or euros. They are produced by an algorithm, at a rate that cannot be changed, on computers running all around the world.

Bitcoin can be used as a method of payment. You can purchase bitcoin and use the Bitcoin network to send money to another person or business almost instantly. You can also hold onto bitcoin as an investment.

Cash, a phone number that can receive text messages, and a government-issued ID. New customers verify their ID once at the machine — after that you are on file and will not need to scan it again. Purchases over $3,000 also require SSN verification.

You will also need somewhere to put the bitcoin. That can be a wallet app on your phone, or we can print you a paper wallet at the machine.

Like any form of money, bitcoin can be used as a tool by scammers. Sending bitcoin is much like handing over cash — there is no way to cancel or refund a transaction once it is sent.

The single most important thing to know: if someone contacted you and told you to come to a bitcoin ATM, you are being scammed. Please read our Known Scams page, or call us at 844.668.2286. Our team is happy to answer any question before you put money in.

California law limits digital financial asset kiosks to $1,000 per customer per day, counted across every machine in our network. This is a legal limit, not a policy we can waive.

If anyone is pressuring you to get around it — by using several machines, several locations, or other people — they are asking you to help them commit a crime. Please call us instead.

Purchases are broadcast to the network immediately, so the transaction is pending within a few seconds. If you do not see the coins, the most likely fix is refreshing your wallet — close the app completely and open it again.

Some wallets display coins while they are still unconfirmed and some do not. Confirmation usually takes around 10 minutes, though a congested network can stretch that to hours. Once Nova has broadcast a transaction it will eventually confirm.

To check for yourself, look up your wallet address on any blockchain explorer, such as btc.com.

The Bitcoin network can only confirm roughly 15,000 transactions per hour worldwide, no matter how busy it gets. On days when the price moves sharply there can be hundreds of thousands of transactions per hour, so a backlog builds up.

When that happens there is unfortunately nothing anyone can do to speed a transaction up. Your bitcoin is safe. It is simply waiting for miners to include it in a block.

Sending the bitcoin is the first step, but your cash is not available until the transaction receives one network confirmation. That typically takes about 10 minutes, depending on the miner fee attached to your transaction and on how busy the network is.

The machine texts you as soon as your cash is ready to collect. If you are in a hurry, send the transaction as “priority” or “expedited,” or call support at 844.668.2286 before you leave home to pre-deposit.

Yes, and it saves you standing at the machine waiting. Call 844.668.2286 or text 425.507.1010, tell us the amount, and send your bitcoin to the address we give you. Your price locks in at that point.

Then collect your cash at any location whenever it suits you. You may be asked for ID information before the withdrawal is completed. Full details are on our How to Buy & Sell page.

Treat it like cash — it holds real bitcoin and anyone who sees the private key can spend it. The bitcoin stays on that paper until you move it into a wallet app on your phone, which takes about five minutes.

We walk you through it step by step on our Paper Wallets page.