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Payments Provider Clear Junction Stops Processing Payments for Binance

Payments Provider Clear Junction Stops Processing Payments for BinanceOn Monday, the global payments solutions provider Clear Junction announced it ceased processing transactions for Binance. The move by Clear Junction was brought on by the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) recent warning, according to a blog post written about the decision. Clear Junction Ceases Processing Payments for Binance Citing the Recent FCA Warning The Financial […]

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Santander’s UK arm follows Barclays in banning payments to Binance

The bank said would be “following the FCA’s warning to consumers” in blocking payments made to the crypto exchange.

Spain-based bank Santander’s U.K. business will no longer be allowing its customers to send payments to Binance, citing warnings from the Financial Conduct Authority.

Several replies from Santander’s U.K. Twitter help account today said the bank has “decided to prevent payments” to the world’s biggest crypto exchange in an effort to prevent fraud. The bank reportedly told customers they would still be able to withdraw cash from Binance, but it would be “following the FCA’s warning to consumers” in banning payments.

Source: Twitter

Many Santander account holders expressed negative feelings about the bank’s decision:

“As one of your long standing account holders, DO NOT tell me how I can spend MY money,” said Twitter user Brian Moore. “If I choose to use Binance then that is MY choice.”

A London-based user added:

“You are putting innocent, well informed customers at risk of losing significant investment due to your binance block. How is that fair or responsible? People can become victim to fraud or losses in many things; betting, bank scams, phone scams. This is absurd.”

Last month, the Financial Conduct Authority, or FCA, warned consumers that Binance Markets Limited would no longer be allowed to engage in any “regulated activity” in the United Kingdom. While the financial watchdog doesn’t regulate cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) or Ether (ETH), certain crypto derivatives and that which it considers a security falls under its mandate. The FCA told investors to be “be wary of adverts online and on social media promising high returns on investments in cryptoasset or cryptoasset-related products.”

Binance later responded to the notice, saying that the FCA mandate did not prevent the exchange — Binance.com — from conducting business in the United Kingdom, as Binance Markets Limited was a separate entity. However, some high-profile financial institutions in the U.K. have already imposed restrictions for customers dealing with Binance.

Related: Binance disappointed by Barclays’ ‘unilateral action’ to block customer payments

This week, British multinational bank Barclays told its customers it would be stopping any credit or debit card payments made to the crypto exchange until further notice, also citing the FCA notice. U.K.-based Starling Bank has seemingly echoed Santander’s position, saying that its customers can deposit crypto in their accounts, but its “international currency provider does not support the purchase of cryptocurrencies." However, Monzo, another British bank, said today its customers are “welcome to invest in crypto” in response to a question on restrictions concerning the exchange.

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Barclays Blocks Customers From Sending Funds to Binance

Barclays Blocks Customers From Sending Funds to BinanceBarclays has reported it no longer supports wiring funds to Binance, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in terms of daily volume. The bank announced its issues with wiring funds to Binance in a resolution message to the customers today. The banking giant cites the warning that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued against Binance […]

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Binance disappointed by Barclays’ ‘unilateral action’ to block customer payments

A Binance spokesperson reiterated to Cointelegraph that the Financial Conduct Authority's recent edict only applied to Binance Markets Limited, or BML, which is a separate legal entity from the main global exchange that operates through Binance.com.

Barclays’ decision to stop facilitating British customers’ payments to Binance has been met with criticism by the cryptocurrency exchange after a spokesperson told Cointelegraph that the bank acted with “an inaccurate understanding of events.” 

"We are disappointed that Barclays appears to have taken unilateral action based on what appears to be an inaccurate understanding of events,” the spokesperson said, referring to a recent edict by the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, or FCA, barring Binance Markets Limited from operating in the country.

“The FCA notice relates to [Binance Markets Limited], which is a company incorporated in the UK and regulated by FCA,” the spokesperson said, adding that BML is a separate legal entity that doesn’t offer any products or services through the main Binance website.

The FCA notice had no bearing on user deposits on the main Binance website, the spokesperson said, adding that, “We have always taken the security of our users’ money very seriously.”

Binance said it welcomes open dialogue with Barclays to discuss the matter further:

"We take our compliance obligations very seriously, and we are committed to working collaboratively with regulators to shape policies that protect consumers, encourage innovation, and move our industry forward."

Related: Binance faces regulatory upheaval as lawmakers target ‘global’ exchanges

Binance has been caught in the regulatory crossfire as of late, with several jurisdictions around the world taking stricter measures to limit the exchange’s operations. Over the past two weeks, financial regulators in Japan and the United Kingdom have warned users about Binance’s regulatory status in their respective countries. Meanwhile, Binance announced it would no longer operate in the Canadian province of Ontario after regulators there implemented stricter regulations targeting cryptocurrency exchanges.

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