UPDATED 21:55 EDT / FEBRUARY 04 2018

EMERGING TECH

Bitcoin price drops as major banks ban cryptocurrency credit card purchases

The price of bitcoin dropped again in trading over the weekend as banks in both the United States and the United Kingdom imposed bans on customers using their credit cards to purchase cryptocurrencies.

The bans started Friday, with JP Morgan Chase Co., Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc. all announcing that they were moving to implement the ban over the weekend. The trend then spread across the Atlantic with an announcement from Lloyds Bank plc Sunday that it would do the same starting Monday.

In all cases, the bans only apply to credit cards. Customers can still use their debit cards, that is their own funds as opposed to credit extended to them by their financial institutions, to make bitcoin and cryptocurrency purchases.

All the banks involved cited volatility in cryptocurrency markets. A spokesperson for JPMorgan, for instance, told CNBC that “at this time, we are not processing cryptocurrency purchases using credit cards, due to the volatility and risk involved,” before adding that it “will review the issue as the market evolves.”

The “volatility” cited by the banks is code for a higher risk factor for default, sinces customers who lose money on cryptocurrency trading may be more likely to be unable to repay their debts. The BBC reported that Lloyds fears people are buying bitcoin to make a profit if its value rises but face debts if it falls. It’s “concerned it could end up footing the bill for unpaid debts should the price continue to fall.”

The bank credit card bans further spooked markets, coming on top of a string of bad news in cryptocurrency last week, including a cryptocurrency ban in India, a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into leading bitcoin exchange Bitfinex and related company Tether, and a ban on all cryptocurrency advertising on Facebook.

As of 9:45 p.m. EST, bitcoin was trading at $7,968.33, down from $8,646.41 only three days ago and its lowest price since Nov. 18.

Photo: Pixabay

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