Russian Web Censor Tells Binance It’s Been Blacklisted – Three Months Late
Russian internet censorship agency Roskomnadzor blacklisted Binance in June, but apparently only made the cryptocurrency exchange aware of its decision today.
- Binance Russia director Gleb Kostarev notified followers on Facebook Friday that Roskomnadzor had added the exchange’s domain to its list of prohibited websites.
- The reason, according to Kostarev, was that Binance had been caught publishing information about how to buy and sell bitcoin, which is apparently an offense in Russia.
- “Not sure if we should laugh or cry,” he said.
- While cryptocurrencies are officially recognized as taxable property in Russia, the Ministry of Finance has recently made moves to put crypto trading under harsh supervision.
- Russian news agency RBK said a court had already approved Roskomnadzor’s motion to block Binance on June 2.
- “Issuance and usage of bitcoins are fully decentralized, and there is no way to regulate it by the government, which contradicts the current Russian law,” the court decision reads.
- In a Kafkaesque twist, Kostarev told CoinDesk that Binance wasn’t notified about the court’s decision or even aware of its existence until today.
- Roskomnadzor also banned access to a bitcoin wallet, Metbea.
- Kostarev said that Binance is looking into contesting the prohibition.
