Slowly but surely, bitcoin network is spreading through Croatia.
Croatian bitcoin startup Bspend has installed a bitcoin ATM in Split. It is the second bitcoin ATM in Croatia and the fifth which has been installed by Bspend, after Greece, Vietnam and Thailand. Bspend became popular a year ago when, in the midst of negotiations about possible bankruptcy of Greece, CNN, Russia Today and Guardian reported that “some Croats” have set up a bitcoin ATM in Athens, which helped many Greeks with the cash shortage, reports Poslovni.hr on May 6, 2016.
Vedran Kajić, the founder of Bspend, explained that the goal was to enable citizens an easier way to buy and sell bitcoins, and tourists and expatriates easier way to transfer money. “I would be very pleased if the ATM in Split is used as often as the one in Zagreb, which now has a stable turnover”, said Kajić.
And while last year Kajić, to the surprise of many, estimated that there were 7,000 people who were using bitcoins, this year the first study was completed and the results show that in Croatia as many as 25,000 people use bitcoins. “With such results, Croatia has become one of the most developed bitcoin markets in the world, because it shows that, if we do not count children, almost one percent of Croats use bitcoins, which is a pleasant surprise”, said Kajić.
He added that there was still room for growth. According to Coin ATM Radar, Great Britain has 37 bitcoin ATMs, Spain 12, Czech Republic and Slovenia 11 each, Romania four, and Serbia, Bulgaria and Croatia two each. “In addition to ATMs, there is also room for growth in the network of merchants who accept bitcoins”, concluded Kajić.
