Fear Not, China Is Not Banning Cryptocurrency

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In 2008 following the monetary disaster, a paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Digital Money System” was printed, detailing the ideas of a fee system. Bitcoin was born. Bitcoin gained the eye of the world for its use of blockchain expertise and as an alternative choice to fiat currencies and commodities. Dubbed the following finest expertise after the web, blockchain provided options to points we’ve got failed to deal with, or ignored over the previous few a long time. I cannot delve into the technical facet of it however listed below are some articles and movies that I like to recommend:

How Bitcoin Works Beneath the Hood

A delicate introduction to blockchain expertise

Ever marvel how Bitcoin (and different cryptocurrencies) truly work?

Quick ahead to at the moment, fifth February to be actual, authorities in China have simply unveiled a brand new set of laws to ban cryptocurrency. The Chinese language authorities have already accomplished so final 12 months, however many have circumvented by way of overseas exchanges. It has now enlisted the almighty ‘Nice Firewall of China’ to dam entry to overseas exchanges in a bid to cease its residents from finishing up any cryptocurrency transactions.

To know extra in regards to the Chinese language authorities stance, let’s backtrack a pair years again to 2013 when Bitcoin was gaining reputation among the many Chinese language residents and costs had been hovering. Involved with the value volatility and speculations, the Folks’s Financial institution of China and 5 different authorities ministries printed an official discover on December 2013 titled “Discover on Stopping Monetary Threat of Bitcoin” (Hyperlink is in Mandarin). A number of factors had been highlighted:

1. Resulting from varied elements equivalent to restricted provide, anonymity and lack of a centralized issuer, Bitcoin will not be a official forex however a digital commodity that can not be used within the open market.

2. All banks and monetary organizations usually are not allowed to supply Bitcoin-related monetary providers or interact in buying and selling exercise associated to Bitcoin.

3. All corporations and web sites that supply Bitcoin-related providers are to register with the mandatory authorities ministries.

4. Because of the anonymity and cross-border options of Bitcoin, organizations offering Bitcoin-related providers should implement preventive measures equivalent to KYC to stop cash laundering. Any suspicious exercise together with fraud, playing and cash laundering ought to to be reported to the authorities.

5. Organizations offering Bitcoin-related providers ought to coach the general public about Bitcoin and the expertise behind it and never mislead the general public with misinformation.

In layman’s time period, Bitcoin is categorized as a digital commodity (e.g in-game credit,) that may be purchased or bought in its unique kind and to not be exchanged with fiat forex. It can’t be outlined as money- one thing that serves as a medium of trade, a unit of accounting, and a retailer of worth.

Regardless of the discover being dated in 2013, it’s nonetheless related close to the Chinese language authorities stance on Bitcoin and as talked about, there is no such thing as a indication of the banning Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Slightly, regulation and schooling about Bitcoin and blockchain will play a task within the Chinese language crypto-market.

An identical discover was issued on Jan 2017, once more emphasizing that Bitcoin is a digital commodity and never a forex. In September 2017, the increase of preliminary coin choices (ICOs) led to the publishing of a separate discover titled “Discover on Stopping Monetary Threat of Issued Tokens”. Quickly after, ICOs had been banned and Chinese language exchanges had been investigated and finally closed. (Hindsight is 20/20, they’ve made the fitting determination to ban ICOs and cease mindless playing). One other blow was dealt to China’s cryptocurrency group in January 2018 when mining operations confronted severe crackdowns, citing extreme electrical energy consumption.

Whereas there is no such thing as a official clarification on the crackdown of cryptocurrencies, capital controls, unlawful actions and safety of its residents from monetary threat are among the primary causes cited by consultants. Certainly, Chinese language regulators have applied stricter controls equivalent to abroad withdrawal cap and regulating overseas direct funding to restrict capital outflow and guarantee home investments. The anonymity and ease of cross-border transactions have additionally made cryptocurrency a favourite means for cash laundering and fraudulent actions.

Since 2011, China has performed a vital function within the meteoric rise and fall of Bitcoin. At its peak, China accounted for over 95% of the worldwide Bitcoin buying and selling quantity and three quarters of the mining operations. With regulators stepping in to regulate buying and selling and mining operations, China’s dominance has shrunk considerably in trade for stability.

With international locations like Korea and India following go well with within the crackdown, a shadow is now casted over the way forward for cryptocurrency. (I shall reiterate my level right here: international locations are regulating cryptocurrency, not banning it). Undoubtedly, we’ll see extra nations take part within the coming months to rein within the tumultuous crypto-market. Certainly, some sort of order was lengthy overdue. Over the previous 12 months, cryptocurrencies are experiencing value volatility unprecedented and ICOs are taking place actually each different day. In 2017, the whole market capitalization rose from 18 billion USD in January to an all-time excessive of 828 billion USD.

Nonetheless, the Chinese language group are in surprisingly good spirits regardless of crackdowns. On-line and offline communities are flourishing (I personally have attended fairly just a few occasions and visited among the corporations) and blockchain startups are sprouting throughout China.

Main blockchain corporations equivalent to NEO, QTUM and VeChain are getting large consideration within the nation. Startups like Nebulas, Excessive Efficiency Blockchain (HPB) and Bibox are additionally gaining a good quantity of traction. Even giants equivalent to Alibaba and Tencent are additionally exploring the capabilities of blockchain to boost their platform. The record goes on and on however you get me; it will be HUGGEE!

The Chinese language authorities have additionally been embracing blockchain expertise and have stepped up efforts in recent times to help the creation of a blockchain ecosystem.

In China’s thirteenth 5-Yr Plan (2016-2020), it referred to as for the event of promising applied sciences together with blockchain and synthetic intelligence. It additionally plans to strengthen analysis on the applying of fintech in regulation, cloud computing and large information. Even the Folks’s Financial institution of China can be testing a prototype blockchain-based digital forex; nonetheless, with it prone to be a centralized digital forex slapped with some encryption expertise, its adoption by the Chinese language residents stays to be seen.

The launch of the Trusted Blockchain Open Lab in addition to the China Blockchain Expertise and Trade Growth Discussion board by the Ministry of Trade and Data Expertise are among the different initiatives by the Chinese language authorities to help the event of blockchain in China.

A current report titled ” China Blockchain Growth Report 2018″ (English model within the hyperlink) by China Blockchain Analysis Middle detailed the event of the blockchain trade in China in 2017 together with the varied measures taken to manage cryptocurrency within the mainland. In a separate part, the report highlighted the optimistic outlook of the blockchain trade and the huge consideration it has acquired from VCs and the Chinese language authorities in 2017.

In abstract, the Chinese language authorities have proven a constructive angle in direction of blockchain expertise regardless of its enforcement on cryptocurrency and mining operations. China desires to regulate cryptocurrency, and China will get management. The repeated enforcements by the regulators had been meant to guard its residents from the monetary threat of cryptocurrencies and restrict capital outflow. As of now, it’s authorized for Chinese language residents to carry cryptocurrencies however they don’t seem to be allowed to hold out any type of transaction; therefore the ban of exchanges. Because the market stabilizes within the coming months (or years), we’ll see undoubtedly see a revival of the Chinese language crypto-market. Blockchain and cryptocurrency come hand-in-hand (apart from non-public chain the place a token is pointless). Nations thus can not ban cryptocurrency with out banning blockchain the superior expertise!

One factor we will all agree on is that blockchain continues to be at its infancy. Many thrilling developments awaits us and proper now could be positively the most effective time to put the inspiration for a blockchain-enabled world.

Final however not least, HODL!

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Source by Wei Chun Chew

Fear Not, China Is Not Banning Cryptocurrency

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