Mexico has reportedly gotten another Bitcoin Automated Teller Machine (ATM), and this time it is located in the Senate building in Mexico City. Interestingly, some local politicians, such as Miguel Ángel Mancera, were behind the move.
Bitcoin ATM at the Senate entrance gate
According to local coverage, Mexican authorities have installed the 14th Bitcoin ATM in the Senate building in the Mexico City capital, hinting at a new future interaction with the digital asset. The other 13 machines of this type are located in major cities such as Cancún, Tijuana, Guadalajara and Culiacán.
It is worth noting that some renowned Mexican politicians lobbied for the move. One of those is Mexico City’s previous mayor – Miguel Ángel Mancera. He believes bitcoin has emerged as a successful competitor of leading payment networks such as PayPal and Visa, and is on a path to becoming mainstream:
“I think it’s already reached a point, like in evolution, a boiling point, where it gets to all of us.”
Indira Kempis – a Mexican Senator and a keen proponent of the cryptocurrency sector – took to Twitter to highlight the initiative. Standing next to the ATM, she proclaimed the well-known phrase: “To the moon.”
Subsequently, Ricardo Monreal – the chairman of the Senate Policy Coordinating Council – argued that the Mexican government should open its arms to the crypto industry and establish a regulatory framework. He pointed out that other Central and South American countries, including Panama, Argentina, Brazil and Peru, have already jumped on the bandwagon. As such, Mexico should follow suit and not fall behind in this area.
Is Bitcoin Close to Becoming a Legal Tender in Mexico?
In February this year, Senator Kempis vowed to push for a law to make Mexico the second country after El Salvador, where bitcoin is an official means of payment.
“We need bitcoin to be legal tender in Mexico, because if it’s not, if we don’t make this decision like El Salvador did, it’s very difficult to act,” she said. at the time.
She also emphasized the need for such legislation since millions of Mexicans lack access to basic financial services, and cryptocurrencies could be an appropriate solution to the problem.
Almost two weeks ago, Kempis introduced a bill focused on digital assets. However, it has not been appointed to give BTC legal tender. Instead, she targeted CBDCs, proposing that “only the central bank” could issue digital currency for Mexico.
