Coinstar's big green kiosks that allow converting jugs of change into paper bills can now be used for buying Dogecoin (DOGE) and several other cryptocurrencies, including Stellar Lumens (XLM) and Litecoin (LTC).
The company kicked off its cryptocurrency experiment four years ago after partnering with the Coinme cryptocurrency exchange.
Shoppers can trade their cash for cryptocurrencies by creating a Coinme account, or purchasing a crypto voucher for cash at a Coinstar machine. The machine charges a 4% fee, which makes it a rather expensive way to buy cryptocurrencies. The redemption price can also vary substantially due to Bitcoin's volatility.
Tomiwabold OlajideIn October, Walmart quietly deployed roughly 200 Coinstar machines in its stores as part of a pilot program.
Coinstar operates a network of more than 9,000 Coinme-enabled machines across the country. In April, it expanded into Vermont, placing its kiosks at select supermarkets operated by Hannaford, Tops Friendly Markets, as well as at some Shaw's and Star Market stores. Last July, it expanded into Connecticut.
Coinstar CEO Jim Gaherity claims that customers wanted to see more available coins on top of Bitcoin.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
Arman Shirinyan
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov