MtGox, one of the biggest Bitcoin exchanges, has gone offline.
MtGox has been hit by technical issues and recently halted all customer withdrawals of Bitcoin after it spotted what it called “unusual activity”.
The move is a setback for backers of Bitcoin, who have been pushing for greater adoption of the currency.
Meanwhile, six other major Bitcoin exchanges issued a joint statement distancing themselves from MtGox.
The move by MtGox to halt withdrawals had resulted in a sharp decline in the value of Bitcoin.
“This tragic violation of the trust of users of MtGox was the result of one company’s actions and does not reflect the resilience or value of Bitcoin and the digital currency industry,” the exchanges, including Coinbase and BTC China, said in a statement.
“As with any new industry, there are certain bad actors that need to be weeded out, and that is what we are seeing today.
“We are confident, however, that strong Bitcoin companies, led by highly competent teams and backed by credible investors, will continue to thrive, and to fulfil the promise that Bitcoin offers as the future of payment in the internet age,” they added.
MtGox halted transfers of the digital currency to external addresses on February 7.
The Tokyo-based firm said it had found a loophole that thieves could use to fool the transaction process into sending double the correct number of Bitcoins.
The issue also left it vulnerable to attacks, which slowed down the rate at which coins could be bought and sold.
The loophole was also thought to have been exploited by thieves, who stole about $2.7 million in Bitcoins from the Silk Road 2 website earlier this month.
However, last week, the exchange said that customers would be able to starts withdrawals “soon”.
So far, MtGox has not issued any statement about reasons behind the site going offline and whether it would be back.
However, one report claimed that MtGox had become “insolvent” after losing 744,408 Bitcoins – worth about $350 million at Monday’s trading prices.
Unlike real currencies, Bitcoins are not regulated by any central bank or government financial institutions.
They are created as part of a technique called “mining”, which is used to process transactions.
With only a limited number or Bitcoins in circulation, their price has risen significantly in recent months driven by a variety of factors.
Some have been betting that the digital currency may get the backing of regulators as a legitimate financial service and have been investing in it.
Their popularity has also been driven in part by it being difficult to trace transactions carried out using Bitcoins, and the currency has been linked to illegal activity online.
Its growing popularity has seen backers of the currency push for greater mainstream adoption. They have had some success with a few firms starting to accept Bitcoins as a form of payment.
However, there have also been concerns over the currency’s long-term future, not least due to a lack of proper regulation and laws.
At the same time, some have warned that the rapid surge in Bitcoin’s price was merely due to speculation and was not sustainable.
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