Russia blocks bestchange.ru crypto website

According to local media outlets, this is the third time that the URL has been blocked in the country

Russia appears to be taking early action against cryptocurrency websites. It was recently revealed that the country’s Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) has blocked Bestchange.ru, a notable Russian crypto exchange monitoring website, for the third time.

Bestchange.ru informed its users of the ban through their Facebook page on Wednesday, August 26.

“Dear subscribers, our domain BestChange.ru has again been blocked in the territory of the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, regional prosecutors continue to sue BestChange and other sites for mentioning Bitcoin cryptocurrency,” the post began.

“We are already dealing with unlock issues, but the trial may take some time. You can use the official mirror or known means of bypassing blockages. We also have browser extensions that automatically include proxies when visiting BestChange.ru.”

Their post ends with a reminder to clients to be vigilant when transacting on the internet, and to make sure that they double check the addresses of the open exchange sites.

Bestchange.ru is a free website that helps its users find the best offers online. This includes the most competitive rates for cryptocurrencies, electronic money, and internet banking. While it does have a section dedicated to cryptocurrencies, the website was launched in 2007 and encompasses a wide range of other industries as well.

Bits.media, an online Russian media outlet, reported that this is the third time that the platform has been blocked by the Roskomnadzor. Their article also reveals that while the Russian court had issued a decision to block seven cryptocurrency sites as early as January of this year, it only reached the Roskomnadzor later in June, which sent out a notification for the blocking of the site last August 26.

The Bestchange.ru portal was first blocked in 2017, but the court order to block it had been reversed in 2018. It was blocked again in March 2019 as per the decision of the Kuibyshevsky District Court of Omsk, that had ruled that information on bitcoin was considered prohibited because it contradicted the federal laws of the Russian Federation. However, the ruling was cancelled in May 2019.

Bits.media has stated that Roskomnadzor’s action against Bestchange.ru is not connected to the crypto regulation that was recently signed into law by President Vladimir Putin, which is yet to be implemented in January 2021.