TGU Consulting Group, a Honduran company based in the capital of Tegucigalpa, has reportedly installed the country\u2019s first Bitcoin ATM.<\/p>\n
According to a Friday Reuters report, TGU chief executive Juan Mayen led the move to install the Bitcoin (BTC) ATM in one of the capital\u2019s office buildings. The \u201cla bitcoinera\u201d machine allows crypto enthusiasts to purchase BTC and Ether (ETH) using the local fiat currency, lempira, provided they are willing to scan their IDs and disclose certain personal information.<\/p>\n
Mayen said this was the first automated way to purchase Bitcoin in Honduras, but many software developers had been accepting crypto for payments. According to the TGU exec, many Hondurans have had to exchange cash for crypto in person, an action he described as \u201cvery inconvenient and dangerous\u201d in the country \u2014 data from crowd-sourced platform Numbeo shows the level of crime in Honduras as \u201cvery high.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lawmakers in some Central America nations have been taking more pro-crypto positions as the market continues to grow. El Salvador is currently installing Bitcoin ATMs across the country in preparation for the cryptocurrency being accepted as legal tender starting on Sept. 7. At least one member of Panama\u2019s congress has also proposed legislation for the country to adopt Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.<\/p>\n