China once again cracks down on cryptocurrencies, news outlets
In an ongoing campaign to tamp down the growth of once-flourishing cryptocurrencies it sees as a threat, the Chinese government has ordered more than a half dozen online news outlets to shut down and banned physical venues from hosting crypto-related events.
On Tuesday, eight blockchain and cryptocurrency-focused media outlets were banned on WeChat, China's most influential instant communication and mobile payment app, for allegedly violating new government regulations forbidding the publishing of information related to initial coin offerings (ICOs) or cryptocurrency trading speculation.
Last week, Beijing's central Chaoyang district authority also banned hotels, office buildings and shopping malls from hosting events promoting cryptocurrencies, according to a document leaked online this week, and confirmed by the South China Morning Post with the local authority.