Bitcoin ATMs Guide in Sydney and Where To Find Them

By Crypto News Australia August 08, 2023

Sydney is currently home to five functioning Bitcoin ATMs, all of which are relatively recent and easy to use. In this article, we’ll take a look at the Bitcoin ATMs in Sydney, NSW and present a detailed breakdown of each one and the services they offer.

We’ll also provide a short explanation on how to buy and sell cryptocurrency using a Bitcoin ATM and highlight the differences between the different Bitcoin ATM models present in the Australian market.

Bitcoin ATM Models in Australia

Bitcoin ATMs come in several different types that present users with a variety of different options for trading Bitcoin. Some Bitcoin ATMs only allow for fiat to Bitcoin purchases, while others offer conversion both ways. The Bitcoin ATM manufacturing market is limited, with only several providers creating Bitcoin ATMs. A commonly used Bitcoin ATM in Australia is the Lamassu, a fairly advanced touchscreen model.

The Lamassu Bitcoin ATM

There are a number of SkyHook Bitcoin ATMs distributed across Australia, but these are considered as less desirable options by the cryptocurrency community as the manufacturer shut down operations in 2015 and no longer provides software support. SkyHook Bitcoin ATMs operate on an open-source ATM GUI that is known to be buggy, so it’s best to avoid SkyHook ATMs in favor of Lamassu ATMs when available.

The SkyHook Bitcoin ATM

Genesis Coin Bitcoin ATMs are also present in the Australian market, an older model that offers bidirectional trading. Lastly, General Bytes Bitcoin ATMs are the most widely used Bitcoin ATMs in the Australian market, offering bidirectional trading complete with fingerprint scanning and an extremely easy to use interface.

The General Bytes Bitcoin ATM

How to Buy Bitcoin Using a Bitcoin ATM

Bitcoin ATMs are a relatively quick and easy way to purchase Bitcoin, but generally charge a higher rate than other method due to the convenience they offer. Fees for purchasing or selling Bitcoin are generally around 5% higher than market rates.

All Bitcoin ATMs function as money transmitting tools and are thus obligated to adhere to FinCEN rulings. This means Bitcoin ATMs must follow Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering procedures by capturing identity information from users — it’s not possible to purchase Bitcoin or sell Bitcoin from a Bitcoin ATM anonymously.

Purchasing Bitcoin with a Bitcoin ATM follows a fairly standard process across all machines:

Verification: In order to purchase Bitcoin users must provide photo ID, whichis scanned by the machine. Some machines in Australia (notably General Bytes ATMs) require a fingerprint scan for verification. Other machines require SMS verification as part of Know Your Customer verification.
Provide Wallet Address: To receive your Bitcoin, you’ll need a Bitcoin wallet address. This is typically provided by presenting the ATM with a QR code wallet address to scan. For more information on setting up a Bitcoin wallet, see our storage guide.
Insert Cash: Bitcoin isn’t free!
Confirm operation: Most machines will present users with an additional confirmation step before sending Bitcoin to a wallet address.

How to Sell Bitcoin Using a Bitcoin ATM

There are only two types of Bitcoin ATMs that support sell operations in Australia — Genesis Coin ATMs and General Bytes ATMs.

Selling Bitcoin to a Bitcoin ATM follows the following process:

Verification: ID verification is required for both buying and selling Bitcoin, and is performed in the same manner as described above
Send Bitcoin to ATM: A Bitcoin ATM will provide sellers with a wallet address to send the amount of BTC they’d like to sell to
Wait for Confirmation: The Bitcoin blockchain is currently suffering from scaling issues that can cause transactions to take several hours to complete. This issue is likely to be solved with the implementation of the Lightning Network scaling layer solution, but in the meantime most Bitcoin ATMs provide sellers with a redeem code as a workaround. This redeem code can be used to access cash from selling Bitcoin once the transaction is complete

Selling Bitcoin to a Bitcoin ATM is not the most cost-effective method of converting Bitcoin to fiat. For more information on how to exchange your crypto for cash, check out our Where to Buy Bitcoin in Australia for a list of exchanges and platforms that allow users to sell Bitcoin online or in person.

Finding a Bitcoin ATM in Sydney

Sydney boasts a selection of Bitcoin ATMs that is primarily dominated by Lamassu units, with the sole exception of one older Genesis Coin unit that permits both buying and selling. All Sydney Bitcoin ATMs are located in the city center. Notably, Sydney has the highest density of verification-free, 24-hour Bitcoin ATMs.

Ezy Mart Bondi Junction Bitcoin ATM Sydney

Model: Cryptocurrency ATM
Direction: Buy and Sell Bitcoin and Ethereum
Opening Hours: 24/7
Address: 5/239-237 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction NSW 2022 Australia

This Bitcoin ATM is operated by Coinguide, and provides support to users via a dedicated phone number 1300704675. You can buy and sell both BTC and ETH at this ATM.

Haymarket City Convenience Bitcoin ATM Sydney

Model: Lamassu
Direction: Fiat to Bitcoin only
Opening Hours: 24/7
Address: 86 Liverpool Street, Sydney NSW 2000

This Bitcoin ATM is operated by On Air Mobiles, and provides support to users via a dedicated phone support hotline. Interestingly, the operator states that this machine does not possess ID capture or scanning requirements for BTC purchases, which is at odds with KYC and AML laws.

The operator of this machine also purchases Ethereum and Zcash through private arrangement via the phone support line.

The Haymarket City Convenience Bitcoin ATM is arguably the best Bitcoin ATM in the city, as it’s available 24 hours every day of the week, has no verification, and a sets transaction limits at $10,000 AUD. The lack of verification makes multiple transactions possible. This ATM is operated by BitRocket, an Australian Bitcoin ATM startup. BTC is available at market rates with a 5% fee.

Wynyard Circular Quay City Convenience Bitcoin ATM Sydney

Model: Lamassu
Direction: Fiat to Bitcoin only
Opening Hours: 24/7
Address: 234 George St, Sydney NSW 2000

This ATM is also operated by BitRocket and, like the Haymarket City Convenience Bitcoin ATM, has no verification requirements with a $10,000 single transaction limit.

Lucky 7 Crystal Minimart Bitcoin ATM Sydney

Model: Genesis Coin
Direction: Bidirectional Buy and Sell
Opening Hours: 6:00 AM to midnight
Address: 22 Crystal Street, Waterloo, Sydney NSW 2017

This ATM demonstrates the flexibility of the older Genesis Coin Bitcoin ATM model. Users are able to both buy and sell Bitcoin and Litecoin, with no limit on how many transactions can be made in one day. There is, however, a $10,000 AUD limit per transaction.

Selling Bitcoin to this ATM has a very attractive 0% fee, with rates taken from BTCMarkets. Buying incurs a 5% fee. This ATM also provides a support SMS hotline at 0409 733 315 for users that want to ensure the machine is stocked with fiat in advance.

EzyMart Earlwood Bitcoin ATM Sydney

Model: Lamassu
Direction: Fiat to Bitcoin only
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 10:30 AM 7:00 PM
Address: Shop 2 / 196 William Street, Earlwood NSW 2206

This ATM has no verification or ID requirements, and also offers users the option to sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Zcash via a customer support line.

Metropolitan Hotel Bitcoin ATM Sydney

Model: Lamassu
Direction: Fiat to Bitcoin only
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Address: 1 Bridge Street, Sydney NSW 2000

The Metropolitan Hotel is one of Sydney’s oldest pubs, and is one of the only establishments in Australia at which you can purchase a beer with crypto — Bitcoin is an acceptable payment method. The hotel also boasts a Lamassu Bitcoin ATM with no ID verification requirements.

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