About our data
Where listings come from, what “confirmed” means, and how ads work.
Who runs Bitcoin Scouts
Bitcoin Scouts was built by the team behind QuickieCoin, a small bitcoin ATM operator in New Jersey. That's why we say so here: QuickieCoin's machines follow exactly the same rules as every other operator's (the same distance ranking, the same labels, the same reports), and each operator's dashboard and analytics are private to that operator.
Sources
- Operators. Operators who claim their listings keep them current from their dashboard, by CSV or through our API. This is the main source.
- OpenStreetMap. Many listings started from © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL).
- Overture Maps. Many unclaimed machines come from the open places data of the Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive-2.0, Apache 2.0 and CC0 by source). They're leads, not facts: they show as “Not confirmed” or “Likely here” until someone confirms them.
- Operators' websites. Every day we check large operators' public locators (and AllThePlaces, CC0) to add new machines and retire ones no source lists anymore.
- Visitors. People confirm a machine worked, report problems and report fees. We check reports before changing a listing.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Cities and ZIP codes for search.
What “confirmed” means
Confirmed means the machine reported in, the operator checked it, or a visitor said it worked. Every listing says when it was last confirmed. After 30 days it shows as unverified.
How sure we are
- Operator verified. The machine or its operator reported in the last 30 days.
- Visitor confirmed. A visitor said it worked in the last 30 days.
- Likely here. Not confirmed lately, but it's run by a large operator, a large operator. Not confirmed lately, but the operator's own website lists this location (checked daily). Not confirmed lately, but several independent map datasets list it.
- Not confirmed. From open map data only. Nobody has confirmed this machine yet; check before you go.
How ads work
Ads are labeled, take one slot above the results, and also appear at their real distance. Ads are violet and say Ad. Paying never changes the order of results.
Only a machine that's online, confirmed in the last 30 days and showing its fee can be promoted. An ad shows only for searches within 10 miles, at most one per search, and the machine still appears at its real place in the list too.
How we work out “what $100 gets you”
The fee is all-in: the machine's charge plus its markup over the market price. For the market price we use the median of the bitcoin prices at Coinbase, Kraken and Bitstamp.
Fixing a listing
Use “Report a problem” on the listing, or Add a missing machine. Operators can claim their listings for free.