Categories: News

Australian Authorities Clear Banks in Bitcoin Account Suspension Probe

The Australian Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (ACCC) has decided that several banks did not violate any statutes in closing the accounts of several digital currency companies across the country.

The investigation was prompted when the Australian Financial Times published a scathing piece in September of last year, which claimed that seventeen bitcoin companies had received letters from their banks that stated that they would lose access to their accounts.

The investigation was requested by Labour Party Senator Sam Dastyari, who contact the ACCC.

According to a more recent article by FT, Rod Sims, Chairman of the of ACCC, said that the investigation concluded that banks dealt with bitcoin companies on an individual basis, and that financial institutions were within their legal rights to refuse to do business with companies that may be perceived as risky, “It appears that banks have individually decided to stop providing banking services to digital currency businesses in order to ensure their ability to meet their regulatory obligations and manage their risk,” said Sims.

Senator Sam Dastyari – who called for the inquiry – accused the ACCC of botching the investigation and said that the conclusions are “utterly astonishing”.

Dastyari claims that the ACCC’s version of events is radically different to what he has been told by various digital currency firms, who stated that they were systematically expelled from Australia’s financial system in a short period of time.

According to FT:

Related Post

“Senator Dastyari said debanked bitcoin companies had claimed, independently of each other, that they were cut off in the space of a few weeks.”

The Senator also said that the ACCC didn’t even bother contacting the affected bitcoin firms in their investigation, and even suggested that the accused banks may have targeted specific individuals within the cryptocurrency space.

The Australian Digital Currency Commerce Association (ADCCA) advocates AML compliance to all its member firms. Ron Tucker, Chairman of the ADCCA, said that many bitcoin businesses are very strict with AML/KYC requirements because they don’t want to risk their business relationships with the banks.

 

If you liked this article follow us on twitter @themerklenews and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest bitcoin and altcoin price analysis and the latest cryptocurrency news.

 

Traderman

Avid blogger, entrepreneur, and cryptocurrency enthusiast. I love writing about cryptocurrency, NFTs, price analysis, and much more!

Share
Published by
Traderman

Recent Posts

Solana’s $3.2M Entrepreneur Story & BlockDAG’s $1 Potential

How Solana Transformed an Entrepreneur’s Life & Why BlockDAG Could Be the Next Millionaire Maker…

45 mins ago

SOL Market Cap Hits $100 Billion as Possible Infinaeon Long-Term Price Targets Surge

The SOL price has surged to well over $200 as its market capitalization exceeded $100…

6 hours ago

Binance Coin Whales Reap Big Profits as Polkadot Struggles; A New Crypto Presale Is Dominating Investor Attention

BNB is already flashing signs of a bearish sentiment despite launching a new stablecoin while…

8 hours ago

Three Crypto That Surprised The Market: Rollblock, Cardano, and XRP

The crypto market is no stranger to unexpected twists. However, the recent performances of Rollblock,…

8 hours ago

As Bonk (BONK) and Pepe (PEPE) Shine, Rollblock (RBLK) Captures the Market’s Attention With Upcoming Reveal

Meme coins are back with a bang and are as insanely volatile as ever! Bonk…

8 hours ago

2024’s Top 9 Crypto Staking Platforms to Make Passive Income

Staking has become one of the most effortless ways to generate passive income in the…

11 hours ago