Australian Bitcoin Trader Takes Banks to Tribunal After Sudden Account Closures

An Australian Bitcoin exchange operator has taken legal action against two commercial banks in the country, accusing them of discriminatory practices. Allan Flynn, a Bitcoin trader in Australia has filed a complaint against two commercial banks in the country — ANZ and Westpac — accusing both of systematic discrimination. According to a report by the Australian Financial Review, Flynn is seeking compensation to the tune of 250,000 Australian dollars (about $192,000).According to Flynn, he has been the victim of discriminatory practices with banks allegedly continuing to shut down his....

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has concluded that Australian banks did not collude in blocking services for bitcoin firms and that a full investigation into the affair is not necessary. According to the Australian Financial Review, ACCC chairman Rod Sims wrote to Senator Matthew Canavan of The National Party of Australia – the Queensland representative who had originally requested an investigation into the matter – saying there was no evidence that banks had colluded before closing bank accounts held by bitcoin companies. Sims further wrote that the commission's....

An Australian bitcoin trader has filed a lawsuit against two of the country’s biggest commercial banks, accusing them of systematic discrimination when they closed his accounts on short notice. Allan Flynn is demanding compensation of AU$250,000 ($193,000) from ANZ and Westpac banks for closing his accounts immediately after they had been opened, the Australian Financial Review reported on Jan. 18. Flynn, who operates a registered bitcoin (BTC) exchange, has started proceedings against both banks at the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The trader alleges he is the victim of....

Allan Flynn won a settlement with ANZ for debanking him and is headed to the tribunal to take on Westpac next week. Bitcoiner Allan Flynn has settled his first complaint with the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) over being unilaterally debanked in 2018 due to his occupation as a Digital Currency Exchange (DCE). The settlement comes 20 months after the Canberra resident first filed complaints with the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal against ANZ.In the settlement, the ANZ noted that it closed his accounts due to the risk of money laundering and terrorism funding (ML/TF)....

Australia's largest banks have ended all financial support and abruptly closed down the bank accounts of at least 17 Australian Bitcoin companies, including the Australian Digital Currency Commerce Association Chairman Ron Tucker's Australian bitcoin exchange Bit Trade. "The banks had not advised any of our members. To the best of our knowledge all, or nearly all digital currency businesses have received letters from their bank, or in many cases banks, advising of the closure of their accounts. This includes at least 17, with 13 of these closed permanently," Tucker told Bitcoin Magazine.....