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U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Kraken quits Japan: Bloomberg

Reuters Staff

 

Bitcoins are seen in this illustration picture taken September 27, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

 

(Reuters) - U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Kraken will stop its trading services in Japan, citing rising costs of doing business there, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

 

The exchange plans to exit Japan by the end of June but it may come back in the future, Bloomberg said, citing an emailed statement.

"Suspending services for Japan residents will allow us to better focus on our resources to improve in other geographical areas," Kraken was quoted as saying in the report bloom.bg/2H6cX5T.

 

The move will impact only residents of Japan and not Japanese citizens or businesses based out of the country, Bloomberg reported.

Kraken did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment outside regular U.S. business hours.

 

Kraken’s exit comes amid regulatory pressure for tighter standards at Japan’s cryptocurrency exchanges after the $530 million theft of digital money from Coincheck earlier this year when a hacker used malware to break into its network before stealing an encrypted key and withdrawing digital coins.

 

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-04-18