Crypto ATM company Crypto Dispensers is considering a $100 million sale in an ongoing strategic review. Interestingly, this development comes just three days after the firm’s founder was charged with money laundering by the US Department of Justice.
Crypto Dispensers was founded in 2017, initially offering users a cash-to-Bitcoin service via hardware-based ATMs placed in high-traffic shopping centers. In 2020, the company expanded with a software solution that enabled in-store cash deposits at retail registers, and later developed into a full payment platform supporting Bitcoin purchases through debit/credit cards, ACH transfers, and wire transfers
According to the US prosecutors, Isa, a 36-year-old man from Frankfort, Illinois, allowed criminals and fraud victims to transfer over $10 million in narcotics activities and wire fraud proceeds using Crypto Dispensers ATMs. Thereafter, Isa, whom the DOJ alleges knew of these illegal sources, converted the funds to cryptocurrencies, which were distributed to virtual assets to mask the original ownership.
Notably, Firas Isa makes no reference to this indictment in announcing Crypto Dispensers’ potential acquisition. Rather, the CEO has attributed the ongoing process to understanding the most valuable future for the crypto ATM operator.
Isa said:
From day one our mission was simple. Build a safer and more accessible way for ordinary people to get Bitcoin. Hardware showed us the ceiling. Software showed us the scale. We built the infrastructure, the compliance controls, and the partnerships that allow people to buy Bitcoin with the same payment methods they use in their daily lives. This review is about understanding the next stage of growth and determining which path creates the most value for the platform we have built.
The DOJ has charged both Isa and Crypto Dispensers with one count of wire fraud, to which the defendants have pleaded guilty. If convicted in the expected trial, the company CEO faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
At the time of writing, the total crypto market cap is valued at $2.9 trillion, following a slight 0.02% gain in the last day.
