First Spanish University Installs Bitcoin ATM on Campus

Pompeu Fabra joins MIT, Simon Fraser University and the University of Zurich as universities that have installed bitcoin ATMs.

By Pete Rizzo

Jun 24, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. UTC

Updated Sep 14, 2021 at 2:01 p.m. UTC

Pete Rizzo

The number of global universities equipped with bitcoin ATMs increased on 22nd June with the announcement by Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) that it would install a unit on its Poblenou campus.

With the news, Pompeu Fabra joins MIT in the US, Simon Fraser University in Canada and the University of Zurich in Switzerland as universities that have installed bitcoin ATMs. Founded in 1990, the university boasts a community of nearly 10,000 students and an annual budget of €118M.

UPF professor of technology and communications Miquel Oliver suggested that the installation is part of the university's broader mandate to expose students to potentially disruptive new technologies.

Oliver said in a statement:

"We want to contribute to the general discussion on how the Internet impacts our lives."

Operator Miquel J Pavón Besalú told CoinDesk that the earnings from the ATM will be used "to promote cryptocurrency research and for crowdfunding university projects" related to bitcoin.

As part of its efforts to promote the ATM, UPF will team with the Barcelona Bitcoin Community, a local meetup and interest group that boasts more than 500 members, to engage the student community.

The ATM, manufactured by Boost VC-backed startup BTCPoint, allows both buy and sell functionalities and will enable students to purchase up to €1,000 in bitcoin per day.

UPF's new bitcoin ATM may not be the last, as the university indicated that it may consider adding a second unit to its Ciutadella campus should the first unit prove popular.

Images via UPF; Television Barcelona

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