Bitcoin slides after China's 3 biggest exchanges say they will keep blocking withdrawals
Bitcoin trades down 2.4% at $1198 a coin as selling takes hold for a second day. Wednesday's weakness comes after China's three largest bitcoin exchanges (OkCoin, Huobi, and BTCC) all issued statements saying they will continue to block withdrawals until granted approval to let them resume by regulators, according to Cryptocoins News.
The cryptocurrency plunged more than $100 in a matter of minutes on Tuesday about two hours after a Bloomberg headline cited a People's Bank of China official as suggesting the recent bitcoin regulation wasn't temporary.
The current slide follows a month-long rally that tacked on 30% and ran the price of one bitcoin as high as $1292.71 as traders speculated the SEC will approve at least one of the three proposed bitcoin-focused exchange-traded funds by a March 11 deadline. Because that deadline falls on a Saturday, a decision could come on Monday, March 13.
