China's Gold-Melting ATM Offers Instant Cash, Leaving the Internet Stunned

A new ATM in Shanghai is attracting worldwide interest due to its advanced and sci-fi capabilities: it melts physical gold and immediately deposits the equivalent monetary value into your bank account.

The advanced gold ATM, said to be the first of its kind in China, enables users to insert gold jewelry, coins, or bullion into the device. Using an integrated gold melter and sophisticated weighing mechanism, the ATM evaluates the gold's purity and weight instantly, determines its market value, and subsequently credits the equivalent amount into the user’s bank account — all in just a few minutes.

Turkish tech influencer Tansu Yegen first drew international attention to the machine by posting a video of the ATM on X. “A gold ATM in Shanghai melts the gold and transfers the amount corresponding to its weight to your bank account,” Yegen tweeted, sparking viral interest and debates about the future of currency exchange and financial innovation.

Industry specialists consider the gold ATM as a sign of China's increasing efforts to combine traditional assets such as gold with advanced financial technologies. It also indicates an enhanced level of public access to gold trading and digital asset management.

For numerous internet users, the gold ATM has emerged as a representation of China's swift progress in integrating traditional assets with cutting-edge fintech, prompting others to question whether their own nations are lagging in the pursuit of innovation.