14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this week, rumors emerged about the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the country’s central bank, planning to ban payment companies from working with Bitcoin exchanges.
CoinDesk, which first reported on the story, was informed of the PBOC’s intentions by Bobby Lee, the CEO of Bitcoin exchange BTC China.
Now, a cyberattack has been launched against the financial institution’s website and Chinese media believe that Bitcoin investors might be behind it.
The central bank’s officials say they’re working on getting the website back online. However, at the time of writing, pbc.gov.cn is still inaccessible (see screenshot).
Ever since the rumors emerged, the price of Bitcoin has dropped considerably. The value of Bitcoin peaked at around $1,200 (€872), but it has now dropped under $500 (€363).