On July 8, many Binance users found out that the website had been banned in China.
The exchange's mobile app is also inaccessible due to backend API calls being blocked, according to cryptocurrency blogger Colin Wu.
On the evening of July 8, Beijing time, many users found that the Binance APP appear to be blocked in China and must use a VPN to log in.
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) July 8, 2021U.Today Crypto Digest: Strategy (MSTR) Buying Bitcoin Again, Bitmine Adds $108 Million Worth of Ethereum, XRP Price Flashes Major WarningXRP Price: Ripple CEO Predicts New All-Time Highs for Crypto MarketsMorning Crypto Report: Shiba Inu (SHIB) Price Suggests Bullish U-Turn in February, XRP Insider Signal? Ripple Boss Flirts With Community, Bitcoin Rockets 940% in Brutal $359 Million Liquidation SqueezeBREAKING: Ripple’s RLUSD to Be Listed by Binance
The country’s “great firewall” now prevents users from accessing the cryptocurrency exchange, meaning that it can only be visited with the help of a virtual private network (VPN) service.
Notably, Binance's rivals, such as Huobi and OKEx, are still available in China.
As reported by U.Today, keyword searches for Binance and other popular cryptocurrency exchanges got blacklisted by Chinese internet services in early June.
The Binance ban is part of China’s major crypto crackdown, which also included eradicating the country’s entire Bitcoin mining industry last month.
The world’s largest exchange was initially headquartered in China but then had to move abroad due to the 2017 crypto ban.
Binance is also facing severe regulatory scrutiny around the world. Multiple U.K. banks blocked payments to the trading platform earlier this week.
Dan Burgin
Alex Dovbnya
Denys Serhiichuk
Tomiwabold Olajide