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Topic: Breaking News: China Central Bank Officially Warns against Bitcoin (Read 5234 times)

sr. member
Activity: 266
Merit: 250
So let's see... There are two possible futures for bitcoin :

1) prices go down. China government had protected the banks and financial institutions and warned individuals that took the risk.
Result: government looks good.

2) prices go up. China government had allowed individuals to continue to trade bitcoin and thus people have reaped profit.
Result: government looks good.

This is exactly the sort of official stance I would have expected them to take.

Perfect.
legendary
Activity: 1204
Merit: 1002
RUM AND CARROTS: A PIRATE LIFE FOR ME
One thing is clear is that we won't see any Chinese Banks, Investment banking institutions, mega chinese funds, retirement funds, insurance funds, etc etc investing in Bitcoin or bitcoin related infrastructure and businesses anymore, which is a huge Negative IMO for Bitcoin's long term future in China specifically and expected accelerated price rise to $10,000. It's gonna be purely people only thing, unless the Gov changes its mind in the future.

First of all, they specifically said, "At this stage" and that's entirely reasonable. The government would be crazy to let insurance funds put ordinary citizens money into Mt.Gox (as an example), doesn't that seem crazy to you as well? China well knows that although our bitcoin economy has improved vastly, it's still run largely by first time entrepreneurs who are doing it all by trial and error. No way in heck large financial institutions should be putting customers money into exchanges run by inexperienced and under-backed entrepreneurs. When the wall street exchanges are up and running for real, I'm sure world governments will reconsider. At the moment however, could you imagine offering insurance for bitcoin? It's an insane proposition at this point.

Bitcoin will be a world currency, but it does take more then a few months or years. 
legendary
Activity: 1246
Merit: 1000
One thing is clear is that we won't see any Chinese Banks, Investment banking institutions, mega chinese funds, retirement funds, insurance funds, etc etc investing in Bitcoin or bitcoin related infrastructure and businesses anymore, which is a huge Negative IMO for Bitcoin's long term future in China specifically and expected accelerated price rise to $10,000. It's gonna be purely people only thing, unless the Gov changes its mind in the future.

China isn't the entire world though. There are many big institutions, funds, etc. outside of China who are following bitcoin closely and are not affected by this.
legendary
Activity: 1036
Merit: 1000
One thing is clear is that we won't see any Chinese Banks, Investment banking institutions, mega chinese funds, retirement funds, insurance funds, etc etc investing in Bitcoin or bitcoin related infrastructure and businesses anymore, which is a huge Negative IMO for Bitcoin's long term future in China specifically and expected accelerated price rise to $10,000. It's gonna be purely people only thing, unless the Gov changes its mind in the future.

Did you notice the words, "at this stage"? They explicitly reserved the right to change their policy.
legendary
Activity: 1036
Merit: 1000
Saying that bitcoins can not be used as currency completely destroys the intrinsic value of bitcoin.
The network and the ability to send money is a huge part of the value, it isn't required for the whole planet to use it as a currency for the bitcoin network to have large value.

Hmmm. This is offered by any altcoin, which are also cheaper and have a better protokol

What does that have to do with anything?

I'm noticing a pattern of altcoin pumpers tagging along on any argument made for Bitcoin vs. fiat, as if the fact that an altcoin could do the same thing is relevant. If someone were attacking altcoins it would be, but when the argument is merely about crypto vs. fiat, it comes off as a desperate attempt to remind everyone that altcoins exist. 
sr. member
Activity: 253
Merit: 1652
DTCxNMC
This is actually good.  This means the people will buy the BTC and the banks will stay out of it, and if the PRoC puts its money where its mouth is, the government won't be buying any either, which is also good long term.  This advisory simply states that the people can use it, but the government and banks won't.
hero member
Activity: 504
Merit: 502
My Takeaway:

1) China says btc is not currency or money in an official sense. No kidding. I think we all know it is not a currency or money in a traditional sense. It is something new and different. Not news.

2) China says btc not to be integrated into financial institutions. Really? It is incompatible with legacy financial institutions, and replaces them. It is outside of those institutions. Not news.

3) China says btc can be used by individuals and businesses. Captain Obvious anyone? Aside from throwing people in jail for using it, you can't really stop that from happening. Not news.

4) China says exchanges must follow existing regulations. Why wouldn't they? They are using Yuan, and China is in charge of Yuan. They have a duty to manage Yuan. Not news.


In the end, they pretty much just formalized what everyone already knew. The end result is a removal of a level of uncertainty, which is probably on balance a positive for btc.

Blue Horseshoe loves bitcoins.
full member
Activity: 364
Merit: 100
Justice as a Service Infrastructure
One thing is clear is that we won't see any Chinese Banks, Investment banking institutions, mega chinese funds, retirement funds, insurance funds, etc etc investing in Bitcoin or bitcoin related infrastructure and businesses anymore, which is a huge Negative IMO for Bitcoin's long term future in China specifically and expected accelerated price rise to $10,000. It's gonna be purely people only thing, unless the Gov changes its mind in the future.

Thank you for providing some actual legit analysis instead of immediately shouting THIS BULLISH YOU MORONS BUY BUY BUY!11
sr. member
Activity: 351
Merit: 250
I'm always grumpy in the morning.
News flash: Bitcoin getting attention from governments around the world => Hugely bullish for Bitcoin
sr. member
Activity: 308
Merit: 251
Giga
One thing is clear is that we won't see any Chinese Banks, Investment banking institutions, mega chinese funds, retirement funds, insurance funds, etc etc investing in Bitcoin or bitcoin related infrastructure and businesses anymore, which is a huge Negative IMO for Bitcoin's long term future in China specifically and expected accelerated price rise to $10,000. It's gonna be purely people only thing, unless the Gov changes its mind in the future.
sr. member
Activity: 418
Merit: 252
Proud Canuck
So let's see... There are two possible futures for bitcoin :

1) prices go down. China government had protected the banks and financial institutions and warned individuals that took the risk.
Result: government looks good.

2) prices go up. China government had allowed individuals to continue to trade bitcoin and thus people have reaped profit.
Result: government looks good.

This is exactly the sort of official stance I would have expected them to take.
sr. member
Activity: 308
Merit: 251
Giga
Holy lord, this made as much effect on the market as Thanks Giving.
But Honey Badger doesn't care.





 Grin
member
Activity: 112
Merit: 10
Coffee makes it all better!
reeks of #disinfo. don't sell, hold!
full member
Activity: 364
Merit: 100
Justice as a Service Infrastructure
Two key points:

"Financial and payment institutions are urged not to use bitcoin pricing for products or services"

Source: http://rt.com/business/bitcoin-china-financial-institution-754/

"Websites in China that provide trading services are required to report investors' identities to regulators and take steps to prohibit money laundering"

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/05/investing/china-bitcoin/
sr. member
Activity: 361
Merit: 250
Saying that bitcoins can not be used as currency completely destroys the intrinsic value of bitcoin.
The network and the ability to send money is a huge part of the value, it isn't required for the whole planet to use it as a currency for the bitcoin network to have large value.

Hmmm. This is offered by any altcoin, which are also cheaper and have a better protokol
hero member
Activity: 770
Merit: 500
Holy lord, this made as much effect on the market as Thanks Giving.
But Honey Badger doesn't care.
sr. member
Activity: 308
Merit: 251
Giga
thoste titles are so fake ... no one banned anything ... it was just a warning ...

i asked a chinese friend and it seems like an outright ban based on proper translation, let me know if it's not correct! so i can update the post

It's not correct.. lol

explain
legendary
Activity: 1176
Merit: 1000
thoste titles are so fake ... no one banned anything ... it was just a warning ...

i asked a chinese friend and it seems like an outright ban based on proper translation, let me know if it's not correct! so i can update the post

It's not correct.. lol
full member
Activity: 238
Merit: 100
From what I have read, this is not really a ban, however all bitcoin handling businesses in China, e.g. btcchina, must register with some authority in China, which I forgot its name, otherwise they will be forcibly removed from operation.
legendary
Activity: 2212
Merit: 1008
doesnt china censor the internet? i thought amerika was messed up.
legendary
Activity: 1022
Merit: 1000
thoste titles are so fake ... no one banned anything ... it was just a warning ...

Learn chinese and win. It's a BAN!

Just sell NOW. the bubble Chinese money will leave the bitcoin system. Price will crash hard!

Really?  While I agree learning Chinese is a good idea, quit trying to scare people.  From the crappy Google translation:

Quote
However, Bitcoin transaction as a commodity trading behavior on the Internet, ordinary people have the freedom to participate in the premise own risk.

So even the crappy Google translation makes clear it is not a ban on people holding bitcoins.  It may be a ban on banks holding them or using them like they would RMB, but that wasn't likely to begin with.
legendary
Activity: 1036
Merit: 1000
I call shenanigans on both of you. Ban on what exactly? Not a ban on Bitcoin. A ban on banks handling bitcoins means nothing materially at this time, because no banks in China (or anywhere in the world) handle bitcoins anyway.
full member
Activity: 140
Merit: 100
Bitcoin - love & hate
thoste titles are so fake ... no one banned anything ... it was just a warning ...

Learn chinese and win. It's a BAN!

Just sell NOW. the bubble Chinese money will leave the bitcoin system. Price will crash hard!
sr. member
Activity: 308
Merit: 251
Giga
thoste titles are so fake ... no one banned anything ... it was just a warning ...

i asked a chinese friend and it seems like an outright ban based on proper translation, let me know if it's not correct! so i can update the post
legendary
Activity: 1974
Merit: 1003
thoste titles are so fake ... no one banned anything ... it was just a warning ...
sr. member
Activity: 308
Merit: 251
Giga

This might mean that people in china can't cash out their coins which is causing the panic


Makes exactly zero sense to sell coins if you can't cash them out, does not it? Would make sense to *buy* coins and get them to external exchanges and cash out there, if that would've been the case. Looks like just another one of the herd running panics, good thing.

Yep you're right but they probably wanna cash out now before it comes officially into law one can assume.
legendary
Activity: 1176
Merit: 1010
Borsche
Just saw $870 on Gox, feels like forever since i saw that figure  Shocked

But seems to be holding at a strong resistance of $900

the last support was 850. so it will hold for a while. if panic does not stop, hello 400 Smiley
sr. member
Activity: 308
Merit: 251
Giga
Just saw $870 on Gox, feels like forever since i saw that figure  Shocked

But seems to be holding at a strong resistance of $900
full member
Activity: 134
Merit: 100
so, china forbid banks to use bitcoin as a currency

well, did any bank use bitcoin yet? hm...
legendary
Activity: 1176
Merit: 1010
Borsche

This might mean that people in china can't cash out their coins which is causing the panic


Makes exactly zero sense to sell coins if you can't cash them out, does not it? Would make sense to *buy* coins and get them to external exchanges and cash out there, if that would've been the case. Looks like just another one of the herd running panics, good thing.
legendary
Activity: 1064
Merit: 1001
I never trusted anyone that goes full in the water without dipping their toe first. China did this with bitcoin, they went fanatic and all. If their destiny is to sell, then SELL (to me and my fellow friends on this forum)
donator
Activity: 1218
Merit: 1015
Whew. Thanks for warning. Almost missed this. Have a really light-colored ticker I can't see well. BTCBTCBTC
full member
Activity: 140
Merit: 100
Bitcoin - love & hate
Hahah nice  Grin

Moar panic selling please.
sr. member
Activity: 308
Merit: 251
Giga
Markets are hit hard downwards, looks like this news is pretty big in China. Not looking good  Undecided

Transalations confirm that it is not just a warning, but a "BAN" .

This might mean that people in china can't cash out their coins which is causing the panic
sr. member
Activity: 280
Merit: 250
But they aren't objecting to the use as currency? Only to using the word currency?

Saying that financial institutions can't handle transactions will probably more act to deter speculation then buying/selling of goods using BTC.
legendary
Activity: 840
Merit: 1000
Saying that bitcoins can not be used as currency completely destroys the intrinsic value of bitcoin.
The network and the ability to send money is a huge part of the value, it isn't required for the whole planet to use it as a currency for the bitcoin network to have large value.
full member
Activity: 196
Merit: 100
Saying that bitcoins can not be used as currency completely destroys the intrinsic value of bitcoin.

Do you know what the word intrinsic means?

That's a rhetoric question.
member
Activity: 64
Merit: 10
Saying that bitcoins can not be used as currency completely destroys the intrinsic value of bitcoin.
legendary
Activity: 2338
Merit: 2106
if you put "china", "bitcoin", and "ban" into a reuters press release, this is what you get.

full member
Activity: 196
Merit: 100
my reaction, in order:

1: ouch, this hurts  Shocked
2: cheap chinese coins coming...
3: this will be the biggest tree shake ever
4: oh shit, what if the chinese really drag the market down underground?

5: Carry on, nothing more to see here
legendary
Activity: 2212
Merit: 1008
oh no. bitcoin is back to where it was yesterday.  i cant take this
hero member
Activity: 728
Merit: 500
my reaction, in order:

1: ouch, this hurts  Shocked
2: cheap chinese coins coming...
3: this will be the biggest tree shake ever
4: oh shit, what if the chinese really drag the market down underground?
sr. member
Activity: 280
Merit: 250
Lol, if I was a journalist, I'd write a made up story saying "US government bans Bitcoin. Anyone who owns Bitcoin faces up to 36 months imprisonment". Then when the value crashes by 80% I'd buy all the coins I can afford and retract the article.

Even if you lost your job over it, who cares, you'd instantly be rich.

That's the kind of thing you go to prison over though. (I believe, not legal advice)

Quote from: bloomberg
The People’s Bank of China, China Banking Regulatory Commission and other regulators have held discussions about drafting rules for trading platforms that facilitate the buying and selling of the virtual money, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. They were not authorized to speak because the information is not public.

This is pretty bullish I think actually
legendary
Activity: 1316
Merit: 1000
Varanida : Fair & Transparent Digital Ecosystem
This news only said that bitcoin can not be used as fiat currency, bitcoin is merchandise
legendary
Activity: 1064
Merit: 1001
OMG! So Chinese Bank did what any sane governmental entity would do : Say that bitcoin can have negative uses too.

Oh, wow, better sell all our coins for this.
full member
Activity: 196
Merit: 100
Lol, if I was a journalist, I'd write a made up story saying "US government bans Bitcoin. Anyone who owns Bitcoin faces up to 36 months imprisonment". Then when the value crashes by 80% I'd buy all the coins I can afford and retract the article.

Even if you lost your job over it, who cares, you'd instantly be rich.
legendary
Activity: 1176
Merit: 1011
China said it is a commodity that citizens are free to trade. They made sure to put that in there official letter. They are saying it can be used to trade and store of value but not as a currency. Oh boo hoo.

If anything that's good news! WTF is wrong with people? China didn't put their magic stamp of approval on it and worship Bitcoin as our new god? How horrible.

Sorry, we have too many people with reading comprehension problem here....
And with a maximum attention span of 3 words.

"Chinese government says-" whaaaaa PANIC!

Well, their loss. Suckers. Too bad I don't have money at exchanges currently, to profit from it :-(
legendary
Activity: 1666
Merit: 1057
Marketing manager - GO MP
If they now go after BTCChina...
hero member
Activity: 784
Merit: 1000
China said it is a commodity that citizens are free to trade. They made sure to put that in there official letter. They are saying it can be used to trade and store of value but not as a currency. Oh boo hoo.

If anything that's good news! WTF is wrong with people? China didn't put their magic stamp of approval on it and worship Bitcoin as our new god? How horrible.

Sorry, we have too many people with reading comprehension problem here....
sr. member
Activity: 308
Merit: 251
Giga
China said it is a commodity that citizens are free to trade. They made sure to put that in there official letter. They are saying it can be used to trade and store of value but not as a currency. Oh boo hoo.

it might also mean they can't cash out bitcoins anymore to their banks, if that truly is the case we are in for a big massive dive. Hopefully that's not the case
full member
Activity: 134
Merit: 100
China said it is a commodity that citizens are free to trade. They made sure to put that in there official letter. They are saying it can be used to trade and store of value but not as a currency. Oh boo hoo.

If anything that's good news! WTF is wrong with people? China didn't put their magic stamp of approval on it and worship Bitcoin as our new god? How horrible.

I guess people were disappointed China didn't immediately recognize Bitcoin as their new official currency, replacing the Yuan...
legendary
Activity: 840
Merit: 1000
China said it is a commodity that citizens are free to trade. They made sure to put that in there official letter. They are saying it can be used to trade and store of value but not as a currency. Oh boo hoo.

If anything that's good news! WTF is wrong with people? China didn't put their magic stamp of approval on it and worship Bitcoin as our new god? How horrible.

Yes exactly!
full member
Activity: 196
Merit: 100
China said it is a commodity that citizens are free to trade. They made sure to put that in there official letter. They are saying it can be used to trade and store of value but not as a currency. Oh boo hoo.

If anything that's good news! WTF is wrong with people? China didn't put their magic stamp of approval on it and worship Bitcoin as our new god? How horrible.
legendary
Activity: 840
Merit: 1000
China said it is a commodity that citizens are free to trade. They made sure to put that in there official letter. They are saying it can be used to trade and store of value but not as a currency. Oh boo hoo.
full member
Activity: 182
Merit: 100
Well anyone who expected governments or banks to welcome bitcoins with open arms is was a fool anyway. It's likely just speculators driving price down, and a few clueless bitcoin holders selling off. If you invested into bitcoins thinking that a huge thorn in government/banks would really go through without a problem, please, get rid of your coins asap, and give it to people with some intelligence.
sr. member
Activity: 308
Merit: 251
Giga
This could be the reason for a strong chinese sell off today:

Update: Proper translation seems to indicate it's an outright Ban on Banks/Financial institutions rather than just a warning.

Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/05/china-bitcoin-idUSL4N0JK1KZ20131205

The Verge:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/5/5177550/bitcoin-banned-from-chinese-banks-amid-fears-of-laundering

Bloomberg:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-12-05/china-s-pboc-bans-financial-companies-from-bitcoin-transactions

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