Leaked Documents Show Dutch Rabobank Blocked Bitcoin for 'Ethical Reasons'
Rabobank, the Netherlands' third-largest retail bank by market share, blocked its customers' transfers to bitcoin exchanges for 'ethical reasons', according to several first-hand customer reports and bank documents leaked to Dutch news sites. When questioned about the blocks, Rabobank apparently told some customers there were "technical problems" with the transfer, but told others the bank's own internal Ethics Commission had ruled to disallow bitcoin trading. Dutch whistleblowing site Publeaks also published an internal Rabobank document first obtained by another website, Tweakers, that....
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Some leaked documents have come forward and have been published on a website called Tweakers from Rabobank - a Dutch bank. Therein, information suggesting the bank blocked customer transactions to Bitcoin exchanges for ethical" purposes. It's a far story from what customers were told when their transactions just simply weren't going through. Reportedly, some were told the reason for the incomplete transactions were technical issues
Many banks hate Bitcoin and are feeling threatened by the new digital cryptocurrency. Coindesk recently wrote an article about Dutch Bank Rabobank. The context was the same as many articles before that have and have not made it to more major media outlets: Bitcoin businesses guillotined by banks around the world. Rabobank has blocked transfers of fiat to Bitcoin exchanges in the past for individuals, not just businesses. Rabobank even had days when all attempted online transfers to domestic Bitcoin Exchanges were met with a technical error. Two websites in the locality have since spread....
Rabobank has a proven track record of supporting innovative ideas, either through partnerships or investments. Financial institutions have a vested interest in blockchain technology, and that become even clearer when Rabobank announced their partnership with NexusLab. This gives the Dutch bank every opportunity to work with distributed ledgers, and ten startups will partake in their very first Startupbootcamp round. Dutch bank Rabobank has been experimenting with blockchain technology for quite some time, and they are currently focusing on four key areas. International payments,....
Editor's note: Marc van der Chijs is a former Dutch serial entrepreneur in Shanghai turned venture capitalist in Vancouver. He lived and worked for over 13 years in China, where he co-founded popular online video sharing site Tudou.com. He is a big believer in bitcoin. It seems banks have started to realize that bitcoin could be a major threat for them. In the US many banks don't accept any bitcoin businesses as clients, possibly because of regulatory concerns and money laundering risks. Individuals aren't free from bitcoin banking issues either. CoinDesk reported recently that a Swedish....
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are reportedly working closely with major social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, to police “disinformation.” Leaked documents further show their plans to expand censorship. Leaked Documents Reveal How Department of Homeland Security Plans to Police Disinformation Leaked documents and court records have revealed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s plans “to police disinformation,” according to an article published Monday by The Intercept. The DHS....