目前为止被政府关掉的交易所
电子钱包是个什么意思呢？大多数情况，虚拟货币并不在用户自己手里，而是交易所里注册的一个ledger,或者可以理解为交易所代持的。那么交易所关闭的后果就是，血本无归。
In 2004 three Australian–based digital currency exchange businesses voluntarily shut down following an investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). The ASIC viewed the services offered as legally requiring an Australian Financial Services License, which the companies lacked.[6]
In 2006, US-based digital currency exchange business GoldAge Inc., a New York state business, was shut down by the US Secret Service after operating since 2002.[7] Business operators Arthur Budovsky and Vladimir Kats were indicted "on charges of operating an illegal digital currency exchange and money transmittal business" from their apartments, transmitting more than $30 million to digital currency accounts.[5] Customers provided limited identity documentation, and could transfer funds to anyone worldwide, with fees sometimes exceeding $100,000.[5] Budovsky and Kats were sentenced in 2007 to five years in prison "for engaging in the business of transmitting money without a license, a felony violation of state banking law", ultimately receiving sentences of five years probation.[8]
In April 2007, the US government ordered E-gold administration to lock/block approximately 58 E-Gold accounts owned and used by The Bullion Exchange, AnyGoldNow, IceGold, GitGold, The Denver Gold Exchange, GoldPouch Express, 1MDC (a Digital Gold Currency, based on e-gold) and others, forcing G&SR (owner of OmniPay) to liquidate the seized assets.
A few weeks later, E-Gold faced four indictments.[9]
In July 2008, Webmoney changed its rules, affecting many exchanges. Since that time it became prohibited[by whom?] to exchange Webmoney to the most popular e-currencies like E-gold, Liberty Reserve and others.
Also in July 2008 E-gold's three directors accepted a bargain with the prosecutors and plead guilty to one count of "conspiracy to engage in money laundering" and one count of the "operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business".[10] E-gold ceased operations in 2009.
In 2013, Jean-Loup Richet, a research fellow at ESSEC ISIS, surveyed new money laundering techniques that cybercriminals were using in a report written for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.[11] A common approach to cyber money laundering was to use a digital currency exchanger service which converted dollars into Liberty Reserve and could be sent and received anonymously. The receiver could convert the Liberty Reserve currency back into cash for a small fee. In May 2013, digital currency exchanger Liberty Reserve was shut down after the alleged founder, Arthur Budovsky Belanchuk, and four others were arrested in Costa Rica, Spain, and New York "under charges for conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy and operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business."[12] Budovsky, a former U.S. citizen and naturalized Costa Rican, was convicted in connection with the 2006 Gold Age raid.[8][13] A U.S. indictment said the case "is believed to be the largest international money laundering prosecution in history."[13] More than $40 million in assets were placed under restraint pending forfeiture, and more than 30 Liberty Reserve exchanger domain names were seized.[12][14] The company was estimated to have laundered $6 billion in criminal proceeds.[12]
Following the launch of a decentralized cryptocurrency bitcoin in 2008 and the subsequent introduction of other cryptocurrencies, many virtual platforms were created specifically for the exchange of decentralized cryptocurrencies. Their regulation differs from country to country.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission maintains that "if a platform offers trading of digital assets that are securities and operates as an "exchange," as defined by the federal securities laws, then the platform must register with the SEC as a national securities exchange or be exempt from registration"[15].
In Japan to operate a cryptocurrency exchange a special license must be obtained from the Financial Services Authority of Japan specifically for the operation of a virtual currency exchange
Several cryptocurrency exchanges operating in the European Union obtained licenses[16]
under the EU Payment Services Directive and the EU Electronic Money Directive. The adequacy of such licenses for the operation of a cryptocurrency exchange has not been judicially tested. The European Council and the European Parliament announced that they will issue regulations to impose stricter rules targeting exchange platforms
2 个回答
做个类比
就好像坡县开了赌场。政府提醒民众，不能嗜赌，设立坡人禁赌名单，以及坡人入场收费。
潜台词，赌场是用来赚外国人钱的。
什么是区块链的探索和实验呢？
例如，RTGS, 用来实现real time gross settlement。这类应用，本质上不会去中心，必然得还要和银行体系合作，也需要接受监管。
再例如，IBM研究的企业级的区块链解决方案，尤其是在物流行业的应用，帮助港务，物流公司提高效率。这些本质是属于私链，不发币，也不去中心。也不参与虚拟货币交易。
至于交易所，本质上还是币圈的一个参与者，不在政府支持的实验范围。