Bitcoin ATM numbers in the United States declined during the first quarter of 2026, pointing to a cooling in deployment after a brief rise earlier in the period.
Quarterly comparisons are based on first-of-month snapshots, providing a consistent view of network changes over time.
Data from Coin ATM Radar shows that the number of Bitcoin ATMs fell from 30,788 on January 1, 2026, to 30,229 on April 1, 2026, marking a 1.82% decline over the quarter. In absolute terms, that translates to a net loss of 559 machines.
U.S. loses more than 6 crypto ATMs per day on average
Although the quarter did not move in a straight line, the end result was still negative. Bitcoin ATM numbers rose from 30,788 in January to 30,997 in February, before edging up again to 31,042 in March. However, by April 1, the total had fallen sharply to 30,229, wiping out those gains.
Measured across the quarter, the U.S. market lost crypto ATMs at an average pace of roughly 6.2 machines per day, based on the net decline of 559 ATMs.
That figure highlights that even after a mid-quarter recovery, the broader trend turned decisively lower by the end of the period.
U.S. market remains relatively stable compared with last year
For context, the U.S. market was also under pressure during the same period a year earlier. Bitcoin ATM numbers moved from 30,263 in January 2025 to 29,935 by April 1, 2025, a decline of 328 machines, or 1.08%.
This means the Q1 2026 contraction of 1.82% was steeper than the 1.08% decline recorded over the comparable period in 2025, suggesting the latest pullback was more pronounced.
Europe also recorded a quarterly decline in Bitcoin ATMs in Q1
Elsewhere, in Europe, Bitcoin ATM numbers also moved lower in Q1 2026, although the decline was more modest than in the United States.
According to an analysis from MarketSleek, based on Coin ATM Radar data, Europe ended Q1 2026 with 1,754 Bitcoin ATMs, compared with 1,785 at the start of January. This represents a decline of 31 machines, or 1.74% quarter over quarter.
The year-on-year comparison shows a clear shift in momentum. In Q1 2025, Europe’s Bitcoin ATM count rose from 1,680 to 1,771, an increase of 91 machines, or 5.42%. By contrast, Q1 2026 recorded a 1.74% contraction.
Spain remains Europe’s largest market despite local decline
Within Europe, Spain remained the region’s leading Bitcoin ATM market, with 374 locations by the end of Q1 2026.
However, underlying trends were weaker. The country’s ATM count fell from 345 to 325 over the quarter, a decline of 20 machines, or 5.8%. Madrid and Barcelona remained the country’s two largest hubs, but the national total still moved lower.
At the same time, Poland moved in the opposite direction. Its ATM count rose from 243 to 262, an increase of 19 machines, or 7.8%, making it one of the few notable growth markets in the region.
Elsewhere, Italy ranked third with 215 machines, followed by Romania with 174 and Germany with 136.
Bitcoin ATM market shows signs of consolidation
Taken together, the latest figures suggest that the Bitcoin ATM market is entering a more mature phase.
In the United States, the pace of contraction was sharper, with more than six machines disappearing per day on average during the quarter. In Europe, the decline was smaller in both absolute and percentage terms, but the shift from 5.42% growth in Q1 2025 to a 1.74% decline in Q1 2026 still points to weakening momentum.
Rather than rapid network expansion, operators now appear to be focusing more on optimizing existing footprints. Growth in selective markets such as Poland is being offset by pullbacks in larger, more established markets such as Spain and the United States.
Featured image via Shutterstock
