Crypto Matures: Stablecoins Surge Amid Regulatory Shifts and Market Turmoil
If tonight’s crypto headlines feel like they’re all about stablecoins, surveillance, and regulators circling the wagons, you’re not wrong. But under the noise, there’s a quiet theme: crypto is getting more “real world” by the day, even as rules tighten and some early players blink. Let’s start with where most people first touch crypto: the ATM. Bitcoin Depot announced it will now require ID verification for every single Bitcoin ATM transaction in the U.S. That’s a big shift for a channel that used to feel closer to cash: fast, anonymous, no-questions-asked. The company is pitching the move as a way to cut down on fraud and money laundering, and regulators will almost certainly applaud. But it also means anyone feeding cash into one of these machines to buy bitcoin (BTC) is now leaving a paper trail, and probably slowing down their transaction. If this becomes the industry standard, the “walk up and buy BTC with cash, no ID” era in the U.S. may be coming to an end. On the other ...