A ban on crypto kiosks in Minnesota begins Aug. 1. What are these machines?

A new state law taking effect Aug. 1 aims to put a stop to scams that have caused Minnesotans to lose nearly a million dollars over the last few years.

The schemes involve tricking people into depositing large sums of money into ATM-like machines called cryptocurrency kiosks.

State lawmakers passed a ban on these kiosks this past legislative session in light of these scams. It was signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz in May 2026.

MPR News host Nina Moini spoke to Sara Payne, assistant commissioner of enforcement with the Department of Commerce, and Cathy McLeer, state director of AARP Minnesota, about the law and how it works.