coindesk.com
Walmart, the world’s largest company by revenue, is letting customers buy bitcoin at dozens of its U.S. locations.
Shoppers can purchase the cryptocurrency at Coinstar machines inside the retailer’s cavernous “big box” stores. A CoinDesk editor verified that the service works, buying a small amount of BTC at a Pennsylvania Walmart on Oct. 12.
“Coinstar, in partnership with CoinMe, has launched a pilot that allows its customers to use cash to purchase Bitcoin,” Walmart communications director Molly Blakeman told CoinDesk via email. “There are 200 Coinstar kiosks located inside Walmart stores across the United States that are part of this pilot.”
Coinstar is best known for allowing consumers to exchange coins for paper bills or gift cards. The ability to buy bitcoin is enabled by Coinme, a crypto wallet and payment firm that specializes in Bitcoin ATMs (BTMs).
