Cash is still king in the underworld. That said, I have made trips to BTC ATMs dozens of times in the last few months (I have verified accounts at Coinbase, Gemini, Kraken, and outfits most people have never heard of). About half the time, there is someone using the machine when I get there. I know strung-out when I see it, and no one was strung-out. BUT I was probably the only one that could tell the difference between a stock and bond or someone using BTC as an investment. Nobody looked like a techie either. Granted, the areas where the ATMs are located do not have universities nearby which is another hotspot for bitcoin dealing. Going to these ATMs leads me to believe the demand for bitcoin in the underworld is very strong. Much stronger than I anticipated. The counter argument might be that cash ATMs facilitate crime in the "hood" as well or that junkies having access to better drugs using the dark web saves lives. Really, bitcoin can be used for anything just like cash, the internet or anything else. It seems to me that Florida law enforcement should focus on getting rid of doctor shopping for opiates. Why they let that scourge persist and make a big show of a busting localbitcoin dealers is ridiculous.
Florida man who ran the illegal bitcoin exchange Coin.mx and was tied to JPMorgan Chase hacks gets 5.5 years in US prison after pleading guilty on many charges (Jonathan Stempel/Reuters) https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/06/27/coinmx_boss_gets_66_months/ But don't stop reading. Scroll down to #5 http://www.tallahasseemagazine.com/July-August-2010/2010-Top-Singles/