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Santander’s UK arm follows Barclays in banning payments to Binance
Spain-based financial institution Santander’s U.Ok. enterprise will not be permitting its clients to ship payments to Binance, citing warnings from the Monetary Conduct Authority.
A number of replies from Santander’s U.Ok. Twitter assist account at the moment mentioned the financial institution has “decided to prevent payments” to the world’s greatest crypto alternate in an effort to stop fraud. The financial institution reportedly advised clients they’d nonetheless have the opportunity to withdraw money from Binance, however it might be “following the FCA’s warning to consumers” in banning payments.
Supply: Twitter
Many Santander account holders expressed unfavorable emotions concerning the financial institution’s determination:
“As one of your long standing account holders, DO NOT tell me how I can spend MY money,” mentioned Twitter consumer Brian Moore. “If I choose to use Binance then that is MY choice.”
A London-based consumer 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.”
Final month, the Monetary Conduct Authority, or FCA, warned customers that Binance Markets Restricted would not be allowed to interact in any “regulated activity” in the UK. Whereas the monetary watchdog doesn’t regulate cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) or Ether (ETH), sure crypto derivatives and that which it considers a safety falls beneath its mandate. The FCA advised traders 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 discover, saying that the FCA mandate didn’t stop the alternate — Binance.com — from conducting enterprise in the UK, as Binance Markets Restricted was a separate entity. Nevertheless, some high-profile monetary establishments in the U.Ok. have already imposed restrictions for patrons coping with Binance.
Associated: Binance dissatisfied by Barclays’ ‘unilateral action’ to block buyer payments
This week, British multinational financial institution Barclays advised its clients it might be stopping any credit score or debit card payments made to the crypto alternate till additional discover, additionally citing the FCA discover. U.Ok.-based Starling Financial institution has seemingly echoed Santander’s place, saying that its clients can deposit crypto in their accounts, however 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 query on restrictions in regards to the alternate.
