Our history · Since 2017
A company built
by real people.
It started with one Bitcoin ATM in Chicago. These are the people, places, and years of work that followed.
Explore our historyThe Bitcoin pitch at Consensus 2024.
Watch founder Firas Isa present Crypto Dispensers at Consensus 2024 PitchFest. Full presentation · 5 min 10 sec.
Historical recording from 2024. Products, branding, availability, and service details shown may differ from today.
The story behind the business.
On Web3 with Sam Kamani, Firas Isa discusses the journey from Bitcoin ATMs to building a cash-to-Bitcoin platform. Hear the founder describe the decisions and work behind Crypto Dispensers.
Listen to the interview on Spotify ↗
Web3 with Sam Kamani · Episode 399 · 47 minutes
01 / The beginning
One machine.
A starting point.
In 2017, Firas Isa started Crypto Dispensers in Chicago with one Bitcoin ATM. Before there was a broader platform, there was a machine to keep running and customers to help.
- 2017
The first
Bitcoin ATM.Crypto Dispensers began operating in Chicago with a single Bitcoin ATM. The work behind a physical kiosk included location agreements, equipment servicing, cash logistics, compliance operations, and customer support.
- 2019
A new cash-access
model takes shape.Development of BitcoinPOP began with an idea: enable retail cash loading without placing a dedicated crypto machine in every neighborhood.
- June 2020
BitcoinPOP
launches.Customers could generate an account barcode and add cash at a participating retailer. Once the USD balance posted, buying Bitcoin was a separate step through Crypto Dispensers. The retailer accepted the cash load; the cashier did not sell Bitcoin.
02 / Inside the company · 2021
The everyday work
behind the product.
The office photographs show the ordinary work of building a company: sitting down together, working through the details, and getting hands-on with the equipment. In 2021, much of that work happened around these tables.
More from the office archive
Faces from the early years.
Firas Isa and Sabreen Rihan, photographed at the office in April 2021. Sabreen was the company’s Compliance Officer at the time; she is now Director of Partnerships.
Photographs show historical workplaces, equipment, and team members. Branding and service details visible in the archive may differ from today. Visit our current team page for current profiles.
Chicago · October 2022 archive
Celebrating
a turning point.
By October 2022, Crypto Dispensers had an office, was building a team, and had generated millions in revenue. The business was beginning to produce meaningful profits. This photo shoot in Chicago celebrated that turning point and the work it had taken to get there.
03 / In the field · 2023 archive
From the office
to a retail floor.
A branded Crypto Dispensers ATM photographed inside Discount Tobacco Corner in Orlando, Florida.
The work reached beyond Chicago. This photograph from the Orlando archive shows one of the company’s ATMs on a retail floor. It records that moment in the business; it does not indicate current ATM availability.
04 / Consensus · 2024
Taking the story
to Consensus.
Crypto Dispensers was selected to participate in PitchFest at Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s annual crypto and blockchain conference. The competition brought together 40 startups, with judges from venture firms and Google Cloud.
At Consensus 2024, Firas Isa was joined by Sean Everett, his advisor, and Ibrahim Khatib, his Chief of Staff at the time.
Watch the Consensus 2024 Bitcoin pitch at the top of this page ↑
Relationships that helped the business grow
The work beyond the stage.
The conference floor brought together people who could help with the practical work of running Crypto Dispensers: tax firms helping with the company’s taxes, banking partners working through banking challenges, and other founders building in crypto. Firas also met family-office owners exploring investments in companies. These conversations were about building relationships, solving operating problems, and discussing what came next.
05 / Medellín · July 2024
A first meeting
in Medellín.
In July 2024, Firas Isa and Robert Ruiz, his Chief Operating Officer at the time, met for the first time on a trip together in Medellín. This photograph marks that first meeting: Robert on the left, Firas on the right, and a moment from the company’s history far from the office.
06 / New York · 2025
New York,
with Raf.
In 2025, Firas Isa attended the BitGo conference and Anthony Pompliano’s conference in New York with Rafael Mojden, who was his advisor at the time. Away from the office, there was time to meet other founders and hear how they were building their companies. Among them was Peter Giamnaco from Liquidium, whom Firas met at Anthony Pompliano’s conference.
More from the archive
The moments
behind the story.
A closer look at the places, equipment, and everyday moments preserved along the way. These photographs document the scenes shown; historical ATM photographs do not indicate current service or location availability.
The ATM years
The work behind the machines
From the personal archive
07 / The next chapters · 2024–2026
The product evolves.
The work continues.
The company’s account experience expanded to present distinct cash, card, ACH, and wire routes alongside buying, selling, and swapping supported crypto.
Those routes have different steps. Availability, providers, verification, fees, limits, and timing depend on the method and the customer’s account. Retail cash loading and a later Bitcoin purchase remain separate transactions.
Explore the company today, meet the current team, or read the story behind BitcoinPOP.
About this archive: the timeline draws on the company’s published history. April and June 2021 photo dates come from the original files’ embedded camera dates; the Orlando date comes from its archive filename. Photographs are presented as historical documentation of the scenes shown.