<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>The market shrugged off this news, with Bitcoin continuing its rally and exceeding $100 for the first time in a while. Currently $102</span></div><div><br></div> <div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div dir="ltr"> <hr size="1"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Eugen Leitl <eugen@leitl.org><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> tt@postbiota.org; ExI chat list <extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org>; doctrinezero@googlegroups.com <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, July 30, 2013 3:08 AM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [ExI] Bitcoins banned in
Thailand<br> </font> </div> <div class="y_msg_container"><br><br><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/currency/10210022/Bitcoins-banned-in-Thailand.html" target="_blank">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/currency/10210022/Bitcoins-banned-in-Thailand.html</a><br><br>Bitcoins banned in Thailand<br><br>Thailand has become the first country to ban bitcoins after the central bank<br>ruled it is not a currency.<br><br>US authorities are examining the use of virtual currencies such as Bitcoin<br>amid fears that Americans are using them to evade taxes.<br><br>The ruling means it is illegal to buy and sell Bitcoins, buy or sell any<br>goods or services in exchange for Bitcoins, send any Bitcoins to anyone<br>outside of Thailand, or receive Bitcoins from anyone outside the country <br><br>By Andrew Trotman<br><br>8:38PM BST 29 Jul 2013<br><br>In a statement on its website, Bitcoin said it had given a presentation to<br>the Bank of Thailand about how the
currency works in a bid to operate in the<br>country.<br><br>However, at the end of the meeting, "senior members of the Foreign Exchange<br>Administration and Policy Department advised that due to lack of existing<br>applicable laws, capital controls and the fact that Bitcoin straddles<br>multiple financial facets... Bitcoin activities are illegal in Thailand".<br><br>The ruling means it is illegal to buy and sell bitcoins, buy or sell any<br>goods or services in exchange for bitcoins, send any bitcoins to anyone<br>outside of Thailand, or receive bitcoins from anyone outside the country.<br><br>Bitcoin said it "has no choice but to suspend operations until such as time<br>that the laws in Thailand are updated to account for the existance [sic] of<br>Bitcoin", adding that "the Bank of Thailand has said they will further<br>consider the issue, but did not give any specific timeline".<br><br>Launched in 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis,
bitcoins are<br>"mined" using complex computer source code. The virtual currency started as a<br>relatively niche method of payment, devised by an anonymous programmer, but<br>can now be used for anything from online gambling to pizza delivery.<br><br>Earlier this month, the Winklevoss twins - who famously sued Facebook founder<br>Mark Zuckerberg for $140m, filed to float their stash of bitcoins on a<br>conventional stock exchange.<br><br>However, in June it was reported that US authorities are examining the use of<br>virtual currencies such as bitcoins amid fears that Americans are using them<br>to evade taxes.<br><br>_______________________________________________<br>extropy-chat mailing list<br><a ymailto="mailto:extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org" href="mailto:extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org">extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org</a><br><a href="http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat"
target="_blank">http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat</a><br><br><br></div> </div> </div> </div></body></html>