A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” was published, detailing the concepts of a payment system. Bitcoin was born. Bitcoin gained the eye of the world for its use of blockchain technology so when an alternative solution to fiat currencies and commodities. Dubbed the next best technology after the internet, blockchain offered answers to issues we have didn’t address, or ignored in the last few decades. I will not explore the technical aspect of it but here are several articles and videos that I would recommend:
How Bitcoin Works Beneath the Hood
A gentle introduction to blockchain technology
Ever wonder how Bitcoin (along with other cryptocurrencies) actually work?
Fast forward to today, 5th February to be exact, authorities in China have just unveiled a new group of regulations to ban cryptocurrency. The Chinese government have already done so this past year, but many have circumvented through foreign exchanges. It has now enlisted the almighty ‘Great Firewall of China’ to block access to foreign exchanges in a bid to stop its citizens from undertaking any cryptocurrency transactions.
To know more concerning the Chinese government stance, let’s backtrack a couple years back to 2013 when Bitcoin was gaining popularity on the list of Chinese citizens and prices were soaring. Concerned with Bitcoin Cash Token and speculations, the People’s Bank of China and five other government ministries published the official notice on December 2013 titled “Notice on Preventing Financial Risk of Bitcoin” (Link is in Mandarin). Several points were highlighted:
1. Due to various factors such as for example limited supply, anonymity and lack of a centralized issuer, Bitcoin is not a official currency but a virtual commodity that can’t be used in the open market.
2. All banks and financial organizations aren’t permitted to offer Bitcoin-related financial services or take part in trading activity linked to Bitcoin.
3. All companies and websites that offer Bitcoin-related services are to register with the necessary government ministries.
4. Because of the anonymity and cross-border top features of Bitcoin, organizations providing Bitcoin-related services ought to implement preventive measures such as KYC to avoid money laundering. Any suspicious activity including fraud, gambling and money laundering should to be reported to the authorities.
5. Organizations providing Bitcoin-related services must educate the general public about Bitcoin and the technology behind it and not mislead the general public with misinformation.
In layman’s term, Bitcoin is categorized as a virtual commodity (e.g in-game credits,) that can be bought or sold in its original form rather than to be exchanged with fiat currency. It can’t be defined as money- a thing that serves as a medium of exchange, a unit of accounting, and a store of value.
Despite the notice being dated in 2013, it is still relevant based on the Chinese government stance on Bitcoin so when mentioned, there is absolutely no indication of the banning Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Rather, regulation and education about Bitcoin and blockchain will are likely involved in the Chinese crypto-market.
A similar notice was issued on Jan 2017, again emphasizing that Bitcoin is a virtual commodity rather than a currency. In September 2017, the boom of initial coin offerings (ICOs) resulted in the publishing of another notice titled “Notice on Preventing Financial Risk of Issued Tokens”. Immediately after, ICOs were banned and Chinese exchanges were investigated and eventually closed. (Hindsight is 20/20, they have made the right decision to ban ICOs and prevent senseless gambling). Another blow was dealt to China’s cryptocurrency community in January 2018 when mining operations faced serious crackdowns, citing excessive electricity consumption.
Since there is no official explanation on the crackdown of cryptocurrencies, capital controls, illegal activities and protection of its citizens from financial risk are some of the significant reasons cited by experts. Indeed, Chinese regulators have implemented stricter controls such as for example overseas withdrawal cap and regulating foreign direct investment to limit capital outflow and ensure domestic investments. The anonymity and simple cross-border transactions also have made cryptocurrency a favorite means for money laundering and fraudulent activities.
Since 2011, China has played a crucial role in the meteoric rise and fall of Bitcoin. At its peak, China accounted for over 95% of the global Bitcoin trading volume and three quarters of the mining operations. With regulators stepping in to control trading and mining operations, China’s dominance has shrunk significantly in exchange for stability.
With countries like Korea and India following suit in the crackdown, a shadow is now casted over the future of cryptocurrency. (I shall reiterate my point here: countries are regulating cryptocurrency, not banning it). Without a doubt, we will see more nations interact in the coming months to rein in the tumultuous crypto-market. Indeed, some type of order was long overdue. Over the past year, cryptocurrencies are experiencing price volatility unheard of and ICOs are happening literally almost every other day. In 2017, the full total market capitalization rose from 18 billion USD in January to an all-time most of 828 billion USD.
Nonetheless, the Chinese community are in surprisingly good spirits despite crackdowns. Online and offline communities are flourishing (I personally have attended several events and visited a number of the firms) and blockchain startups are sprouting around China.
Major blockchain firms such as NEO, QTUM and VeChain are receiving huge attention in the united kingdom. Startups like Nebulas, POWERFUL Blockchain (HPB) and Bibox are also gaining a fair quantity of traction. Even giants such as Alibaba and Tencent may also be exploring the capabilities of blockchain to enhance their platform. The list continues on and on nevertheless, you get me; it’s going to be HUGGEE!
The Chinese government are also embracing blockchain technology and also have stepped up efforts in recent years to aid the creation of a blockchain ecosystem.