Crypto ATM laws in Puerto Rico: a guide for operators (2026)
Puerto Rico licenses money service businesses through OCIF; we couldn't confirm how it treats crypto kiosks, and OCIF has announced action against Athena Bitcoin there.
No kiosk-specific law · Last checked
Licensing in Puerto Rico
Money service businesses are licensed by OCIF under the Money Service Business Regulatory Act (10 L.P.R.A. ch. 303B; Act 136-2020 per secondary sources). we couldn't confirm from statute text or an OCIF ruling whether a crypto kiosk operator needs a money transmitter license in Puerto Rico. OCIF has acted against Athena Bitcoin's Puerto Rico operations (see enforcement), which suggests it treats kiosk activity as within its jurisdiction, but we couldn't read the order.
Regulator: Oficina del Comisionado de Instituciones Financieras (OCIF) · License: Money service business license (crypto unclear)
Sources: 10 L.P.R.A. § 2592, Money Service Business Regulatory Act, license application (Justia reproduction) (secondary) · OCIF licensing site · OCIF Carta Circular CIF CC-2021-03 (MSB) - located in search, not opened
Kiosk-specific rules
Puerto Rico has no law written specifically for crypto ATMs as of 2026-10-28. The general money transmission rules above and the federal rules still apply.
Enforcement and lawsuits
- OCIF took action shutting down Athena Bitcoin's Puerto Rico operations, according to an OCIF press release and a News is my Business headline. we couldn't open either, so the date, legal basis and terms are unconfirmed.
Sources: OCIF press release, Athena Bitcoin (found in search, not opened) · News is my Business: 'OCIF shuts down Athena Bitcoin's Puerto Rico operations' (headline only) (secondary)
What we couldn't confirm
- Whether Act 136-2020 covers virtual currency and so requires a license for kiosk operators: we couldn't open its definitions section.
- Whether OCIF licenses go through NMLS.
- The date and terms of OCIF's Athena Bitcoin action: the PDF and the news story were blocked (fetch budget ran out).
- Any Puerto Rico kiosk-specific bill: none found in one Spanish-language search. An El Nuevo Día story ('Pendiente la OCIF a los cajeros de criptomonedas') exists but was not opened.
- Bitcoin Depot's Puerto Rico expansion (a News is my Business headline mentions 87 retail locations) was not opened or checked.
Run machines in Puerto Rico? Put them on Bitcoin Scouts
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