Bitcoin Depot, the cryptocurrency company that had previously filed lawsuits against the cities of St. Paul and Stillwater over bans on cryptocurrency ATMs, has decided to withdraw its legal actions. This decision was communicated to the Stillwater City Council during a closed session on Tuesday night, as confirmed by City Administrator Joe Kohlmann. The move was formalized with an order of dismissal filed Thursday in Washington County District Court.
The company’s lawsuit against Stillwater, initiated in September, argued that the city’s ban would inflict “irreparable harm” on citizens, limiting their access to virtual currency kiosks, which are considered legal under Minnesota law. In its complaint, Bitcoin Depot highlighted that preventing the provision of such services could jeopardize the company’s business license and expose it to potential criminal penalties for operating money transmission services recognized by state authorities.
In the official dismissal of the Stillwater case, court documents indicated that the action was dismissed “without prejudice and on the merits, without an award of costs or attorneys’ fees to any party.” This suggests that while Bitcoin Depot has withdrawn its claims, it retains the option to bring the case back in the future if necessary.
Similarly, an imminent dismissal is anticipated for the lawsuit filed against the city of St. Paul. Bitcoin Depot initiated this action in December after the St. Paul City Council voted in November to prohibit all cryptocurrency ATMs within the city’s limits. A stipulation of dismissal for this case has been filed in Ramsey County District Court, with attorneys for both Bitcoin Depot and the city requesting judicial approval for the dismissal.
Representatives from Bitcoin Depot were not immediately available for comment regarding the withdrawal of the lawsuits. However, city attorney Korine Land reported that Bitcoin officials informed Stillwater representatives of their decision to reconsider their legal stance.
