Free trade perhaps, but certainly not in virtual currencies. The People's Republic continues to be increasingly hostile to Bitcoin. After the restrictions imposed by the government, the announcement of Alibaba, the global online commerce giant that comes from the East, arrives: the platform, starting from January 14, will ban the sale or purchase through virtual currencies in its Taobao showcase, a kind of Chinese Amazon.
In reality, the Chinese group is simply putting into practice what Beijing ordered in December: a move that had caused the value of Bitcoin to collapse. Taobao announces through its website that "it will comply with state laws, including the new rules that prohibit online exchange with virtual currencies such as Bitcoin or Litecoin".
The decision did not cause the value of the currency to collapse again, which for months now has had a trend more similar to that of a roller coaster, perpetually poised between success and vetoes. Bitcoin broke the $1000 barrier again on Monday after Zynga, a San Francisco-based game development company, decided to accept the virtual currency for some payments.
