Skip to main content

China Outlaws ICOs: Financial Regulators Order Halt on Token Trading

n a joint statement issued by seven financial regulators today, the world's most populous nation outlined why it believes that nascent fundraising mechanism is illegal under domestic law. Authorities backing the statement include the People's Bank of China, the Central Network Office, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the China Banking Regulatory Commission.
A translation of the statement reads:
"ICO financing refers to the activity of an entity raising virtual currencies, such as bitcoin or ethereum, through illegally selling and distributing tokens. In essence, it is a kind of non-approved illegal open fund raising behavior, suspected of illegal sale tokens, illegal securities issuance and illegal fund-raising, financial fraud, pyramid schemes and other criminal activities."
The second article further clarifies what this determination means, stating that "as of the date of this announcement, all types of currency issuance financing activities shall cease immediately."
Adding to that, it also demanded that "persons or organizations who have completed ICOs shall refund the investors, protect the investors' rights, and deal with the risks properly. It concluded with a warning that "people who refuse to cease ICO activities or refuse to refund investors will be investigated and severely punished according to the law."
The third article states that the regulation on trading platforms shall be tightened, "as of the date of this announcement, trading platforms shall not conduct any exchange business between fiat money and virtual currencies, shall not provide information and price for virtual currency trading."
At this time, it is not clear how ethereum, the largest platform that has leveraged such a token sale, and the platform on which many are being launched will be affected.
Other articles prohibit financial institutions such as banks from doing business with ICO funding, and warn the public the risks of trading ICO tokens.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Police Bust Alleged $13 Million Crypto Pyramid Scheme

Police in China's northwestern city of Xi'An have arrested the founders of a claimed nationwide cryptocurrency pyramid scheme that allegedly amassed 86 million yuan ($13 million) from over 13,000 people. According to a report  from local media source Huashang News, Wednesday, the scheme launched in March 28 this year after months in preparation by a primary suspect who has has the surname Zheng, as well as three other accomplices. The report cited an investigation from the police who said the scheme used a cryptocurrency called Da Tang Coin (DTC) that is linked to DTC Holding  - a firm under the suspect's control and registered in Hong Kong - to allegedly hoax potential members of the pyramid scheme. In various promotional events in multiple cities in the country, the scheme claimed that new members can make 80,000 yuan (roughly $13,000) per day with an initial investment of $480,000 to purchase the DBTC at $0.50 per token, according to the report. These promises of

Duncan Logan just tweeted that he's on board Electroneum

I have been a buyer and holder of bitcoin and Etherreum for a long time but this will be the first ICO I buy into--Duncan Logan. What is Electroneum? Electroneum (ETN) is a cryptocurrency that can be mined with a smartphone, requiring almost no technical knowledge or prior experience. This sets it apart from other cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin) which require expensive hardware and technical know-how to mine. Electroneum’s unique mobile mining experience allows anyone with a smartphone to earn ETN coins by letting the miner app run in the background. It was designed specifically with mobile users in mind, thereby appealing to a potential market of 2.2 billion smartphone users around the world. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, Electroneum has a user-friendly, beginner-oriented interface that allows users to seamlessly transfer ETN coins between one another, check their balances, and mine coins. Being a  cryptocurrency , Electroneum is created, held, and spent electronically, and h

How to spend your Bitcoin and Ethereum in South Africa

As Bitcoin and Ethereum gain popularity among investors, an increasing number of users are creating cryptocurrency wallets. The wallets are either hosted through an online provider or stored on the user’s hardware. From these wallets, cryptocurrency owners can make transactions on a blockchain, interact with exchanges and other users, and in the case of the Ethereum blockchain, programme autonomous contracts. Sending cryptocurrency through the blockchain is quick and easy, but using cryptocurrency in lieu of fiat currency is still limited. South African stores and services are slower to adopt cryptocurrencies than more developed countries, but users can still buy products locally with Bitcoin or Ethereum. Stores There is a growing list of stores in South Africa which accept Bitcoin as a payment option – many of which offer the option by allowing users to pay with  PayFast . PayFast has partnered with South African Bitcoin exchange Luno to provide users with a way to pay