April 1, 2026

Haverhill, a city in Massachusetts, United States, is moving ahead with a plan to ban cryptocurrency ATMs entirely.

Melinda E. Barrett, the mayor of Haverhill, has proposed an ordinance to the City Council adding a new chapter to the Massachusetts city’s legal code.

Proposed on the 17th of March, the ordinance has already received 11 votes in favour, showing widespread agreement on the matter.

Indeed, citing the reasons behind this ban, the mayor argued,

Unregulated Cryptocurrency ATMs pose risks to consumers, including financial fraud, money laundering, and lack of recourse for users.

This has resulted in the elderly and gullible tech users losing money to scams and fraud. Additionally, the lack of “federal and state consumer protection and regulatory oversight” has prompted the mayor to propose this law.

HAVERHILL SET TO BAN CRYPTO ATMS — CITY MOVES TO PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM FRAUD AND SCAMS! Massachusetts’ Haverhill may become the first city to outlaw cryptocurrency ATMs entirely as Mayor Melinda Barrett pushes a sweeping ordinance citing rampant risks of financial fraud, money laundering, and victims left without protection. With 11 council votes already in favor, the crackdown targets safeguarding vulnerable seniors and tech users preyed on by unregulated machines, exposing a glaring regulatory void that state and federal agencies have yet to address. This bold move signals rising alarm over crypto’s dark side in everyday communities.

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