中國醞釀再發比特幣交易禁令
Already reeling from a regulatory onslaught, Bitcoin exchanges in China are braced for yet another blow from the central bank that would hit their survival.
已經受到監管打擊的中國各家比特幣(Bitcoin)交易所正準備承受央行的又一記重拳，央行此舉可能對它們的生存構成威脅。The People’s Bank of China is considering whether to order the country’s banks to close Bitcoin trading accounts, according to people familiar with the matter. If that goes through, it would eliminate the last big channel by which people in China can buy the virtual currency.
知情人士稱，中國央行(PBoC)正考慮是否下令國內銀行關閉比特幣交易賬戶。如果央行真的邁出這一步，那將取締中國人購買這種虛擬貨幣的最後一個大渠道。
Caixin, a local financial magazine, first reported the ban last week, saying it would come into effect by April 15. But the country’s Bitcoin exchanges say they have not yet received notices from their banks and that business continues as usual, for now.
中國財經雜誌財新網(Caixin)上週率先報道這一禁令，稱其將在4月15日生效。但中國幾家比特幣交易所表示，他們還沒有從銀行接到通知，眼下他們的業務照常進行。
“This would be a bad thing for the exchanges. But it is certainly within the realm of what the government is allowed to do. We are taking things one day at a time,” said Bobby Lee, chief executive of BTC China, one of the country’s top exchanges.
“這對各交易所來說將是一件壞事。但它肯定在政府可以採取行動的範圍內。我們只能走一步看一步，”比特幣中國(BTC China)首席執行官李啓元(Bobby Lee)表示。The price of Bitcoin in China has fallen to Rmb2,950 ($475), down 17 per cent since Thursday when the Caixin report was published. Bitcoin has fallen nearly 60 per cent from its peak in November, shortly before the Chinese authorities announced the first measure to rein in its explosive growth in China.
自財新網的報道上週四發表以來，比特幣在中國的價格已下降17%，至2950元人民幣（合475美元）。比特幣價格在去年11月達到峯值，此後不久中國當局宣佈了第一項措施，以抑制比特幣在中國的爆炸性增長。目前比特幣價格較峯值累計下跌近60%。Beijing ruled in December that individuals were free to buy and sell Bitcoin at their own risk. But after deeming it to be an online product rather than a currency, the government prohibited all Chinese financial institutions from conducting any Bitcoin transactions. It also barred third-party payment providers from serving the exchanges.
北京方面在去年12月宣佈，個人可以在自擔風險的前提下可以自由買賣比特幣。但在將其界定爲一種在線產品，而非一種貨幣之後，政府禁止中國所有金融機構經手任何比特幣交易。政府還禁止第三方支付提供商爲比特幣交易所提供服務。China’s Bitcoin exchanges – many run by tech entrepreneurs who chafe against government regulations – thought they had found a way around the ban on payment providers. By accepting payment from customers directly in their corporate accounts, the exchanges filled the gap left by payment providers and allowed people to continue buying Bitcoins. The new central bank document threatens to end that, by preventing China’s Bitcoin exchanges from holding corporate bank accounts.
中國的比特幣交易所——其中許多是由不滿政府法規的高科技企業家運營的——曾認爲，他們找到了繞過針對支付提供商的禁令的辦法。通過在自己的公司賬戶直接接受客戶付款，這些交易所填補了支付提供商留下的空白，讓人們能夠繼續購買比特幣。新的央行文件可能叫停這種做法，阻止中國的比特幣交易所在銀行持有公司賬戶。Nevertheless, an executive with one of China’s leading Bitcoin exchanges, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he believed the new regulations were in draft stage and that they would not be as harsh as feared. He also said exchanges would still have workarounds if corporate accounts are closed.
不過，中國領先比特幣交易所之一的一位要求匿名的高管表示，他相信新的規定處於起草階段，這些規定不會像外界擔心的那麼苛刻。他還表示，即使公司賬戶被關閉，交易所還是會有對策。The regulations to date have undercut the Bitcoin market in China, with daily transaction volumes down as much as 80 per cent from their peak.
迄今爲止出臺的規定已經削弱了中國的比特幣市場，每日交易量從峯值下跌80%。
