Share this article
Scottish Tech Store CeX Drops UK Pound for Bitcoin
The company's two-day promotion celebrates its new bitcoin payments option and Scotland's first bitcoin ATM.
By Stan Higgins
Updated Sep 11, 2021, 10:45 a.m. Published May 13, 2014, 9:01 a.m.
Make us preferred on Google
Technology exchange and retailer CeX is making waves in the United Kingdom’s bitcoin ecosystem this week, launching a bitcoin-only payments initiative, as well as Scotland's first bitcoin ATM.
CeX has added bitcoin payments to its website, according to a post on the company’s blog yesterday. To commemorate the initiative, the retailer is undertaking a series of projects, which includes the ATM launch at its Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, location.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
The ATM, built by Lamassu, will charge 0% commission on bitcoin transactions, well below the rate of other similar machines in the UK, to entice shoppers unfamiliar with the young currency.
A two day-long 'pound-free zone' will also feature at the Glasgow store from 13th to 15th May, whereby customers will only be able to transact in bitcoin when buying or selling their electronics.
Scottish Independence
A CeX representative told CoinDesk that the project is, in spirit, connected to Scotland’s bid for financial and economic independence from the broader United Kingdom, saying:
“The trial is turning the Scottish high street into a bitcoin laboratory, highlighting alternative forms of currency should Scotland vote 'yes' in the forthcoming referendum.”
Eric Benz from the UK Digital Currency Association hailed the store's plan as "forward-thinking", adding that Scotland’s appetite for bitcoin is big and "growing exponentially" everyday.
He also noted that the currency has potential as a highly-political tool:
"Taking a step forward and promoting this incredible new technology would [...] allow Scotland to possibly become one of the leading financial technology countries in the world."
Budding growth for bitcoin
The CeX bitcoin launch represents some of the most significant news for bitcoin to come out of Scotland. However, there have been other bitcoin-related developments in the region that have introduced local residents to the digital currency.
In January, local bistro Brooklyn Cafe, situated in Glasgow’s Shawlands district, announced that it would accept bitcoin as a form of payment. At the time, manager Jonny McDonald told CoinDesk that, while many customers had heard about it, few actually knew how bitcoin worked.
This is a situation that may change: the CeX-hosted bitcoin ATM is Scotland’s first, and will surely act as a centre for bitcoin in the area, raising awareness and accessibility.
Within the UK, CeX's new Lamassu is a new entrant into a fast-growing ATM ecosystem occupied by familiar names like Robocoin.
Image via CeX
More For You
Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale.
What to know:
Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token.
The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility.
More For You
Ethereum’s ERC-8004 aims to put identity and trust behind AI agents
A new Ethereum standard seeks to give AI agents portable identities and reputations, letting them interact across companies and chains without relying on centralized gatekeepers.
What to know:
- Ethereum developers are set to roll out ERC-8004, a new standard that gives AI software agents persistent on-chain identities and a shared framework for establishing credibility.
- The standard defines three registries—identity, reputation and validation—that let agents register themselves, collect reusable feedback and publish independent checks of their work on Ethereum or layer-2 networks.
- Framed as neutral infrastructure rather than a marketplace, ERC-8004 aims to enable interoperable, gatekeeper-free AI services on Ethereum, even as ether trades just above $3,000 after a recent price gain.
Top Stories
