City of Albuquerque - File #: O-26-49

• File #: O-26-49
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Adopted
• File created: 6/15/2026
• In control: City Council
• Final action: 9/9/2026
• Title: Creating The "Virtual Currency Ordinance;" Prohibiting Virtual Currency Automatic Teller Machines And Cashier-Facilitated Virtual Currency Transactions In The City Of Albuquerque (Telles, Fiebelkorn)
• Sponsors: Stephanie W. Telles, Tammy Fiebelkorn

Date	Action By	Action	Result
9/9/2026	City Council	Passed as Amended	Pass
9/9/2026	City Council	Amended	Pass
8/17/2026	City Council	Accepted with a Recommendation Do Pass
8/10/2026	Finance & Government Operations Committee	Sent to Council with a recommendation of Do Pass	Pass
6/15/2026	City Council	Introduced and Referred
6/15/2026	President	Referred

CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY SEVENTH COUNCIL


COUNCIL BILL NO. O-26-49 ENACTMENT NO. ______________

SPONSORED BY: Stephanie W. Telles, Tammy Fiebelkorn


ORDINANCE
title
Creating The "Virtual Currency Ordinance;" Prohibiting Virtual Currency Automatic Teller Machines And Cashier-Facilitated Virtual Currency Transactions In The City Of Albuquerque (Telles, Fiebelkorn)
body
WHEREAS, Virtual Currency Kiosks or Virtual Currency Automatic Teller Machines ("Virtual Currency ATMs") allow individuals to purchase and send a variety of Virtual Currency, including, but not limited to Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dash, LiteCoin, Ripple, ZCash, Ethereum, and other blockchain-based tokens; and
WHEREAS, Virtual Currency ATMs have been deployed nationwide with the rise in popularity and usage of Virtual Currency; and
WHEREAS, Virtual Currency transactions allow for anonymity between transacting parties and have little oversight, making them desirable for facilitating criminal enterprise; and
WHEREAS, Virtual Currency and Virtual Currency ATMs are increasingly used to facilitate criminal enterprises, including fraud schemes that target vulnerable populations; and
WHEREAS, use of Virtual Currency ATMs in fraud or other criminal enterprises have been identified in different states and municipalities; and
WHEREAS, other states and municipalities have taken steps to ban, prohibit, or otherwise restrict the presence and use of Virtual Currency ATMs to protect their residents from potential fraud, exploitation, and financial harm; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has documented a rapid and sustained increase in fraud facilitated through virtual currency kiosks, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in reported consumer losses nationwide, with older adults suffering a disproportionate share of those losses; and
WHEREAS, federal law enforcement and financial regulators have repor...