央行等五部门：比特币不作为货币在市场流通使用

    新华社北京１２月５日电（记者 王宇、王培伟）记者５日从中国人民银行获悉，央行等五部门日前下发文件，称比特币不具有与货币等同的法律地位，不能且不应作为货币在市场上流通使用。

& #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; Xinhua News, Beijing, 5 December (journalist Wang Woo, Wang Bewei) journalist was informed by the People's Bank of China on 5 December that five sectors, including the Central Bank, had recently issued documents stating that Bitcoin did not have the same legal status as a currency and could not and should not be used as a currency in the market.

    为保护社会公众的财产权益，保障人民币的法定货币地位，防范洗钱风险，维护金融稳定，中国人民银行、工业和信息化部、中国银行业监督管理委员会、中国证券监督管理委员会、中国保险监督管理委员会日前联合印发了关于防范比特币风险的通知。《通知》明确了比特币的性质，认为比特币不是由货币当局发行，不具有法偿性与强制性等货币属性，并不是真正意义的货币。从性质上看，比特币是一种特定的虚拟商品，不具有与货币等同的法律地位，不能且不应作为货币在市场上流通使用。但是，比特币交易作为一种互联网上的商品买卖行为，普通民众在自担风险的前提下拥有参与的自由。

& #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; and #160. In order to protect the property rights and interests of the public, safeguard the legal monetary position of the renminbi against the risk of money-laundering and financial stability, the People’s Bank of China, the Ministry of Industry and Informationization, the China Banking Supervision Council, the China Securities Supervisory Board, and the China Insurance Supervisory Board have jointly issued a notice on protection against the risks of Bitcoin.

    《通知》要求，现阶段，各金融机构和支付机构不得以比特币为产品或服务定价，不得买卖或作为中央对手买卖比特币，不得承保与比特币相关的保险业务或将比特币纳入保险责任范围，不得直接或间接为客户提供其他与比特币相关的服务，包括：为客户提供比特币登记、交易、清算、结算等服务；接受比特币或以比特币作为支付结算工具；开展比特币与人民币及外币的兑换服务；开展比特币的储存、托管、抵押等业务；发行与比特币相关的金融产品；将比特币作为信托、基金等投资的投资标的等。

& #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; The Notice requires that, at this stage, financial institutions and payment agencies shall not price Bitcoin for products or services, buy or sell Bitcoin as a central counterpart, shall not encumber bitcoin-related insurance operations or include bitcoin in insurance liability, and shall not directly or indirectly provide customers with other bitcoin-related services, including: provision of Bitcoin registration, transactions, settlement, settlement services, etc. for customers; acceptance of bitcoin or use of bitcoin as a means of settlement; exchange services between bitcoin and renminbi and foreign currency; storage, trusteeship, mortgage, etc. of bitcoin; issuance of bitcoin-related financial products; use of bitcoin as the subject of investment, etc.

    《通知》规定，作为比特币主要交易平台的比特币互联网站，应当根据《中华人民共和国电信条例》和《互联网信息服务管理办法》的规定，依法在电信管理机构备案。同时，针对比特币具有较高的洗钱风险和被犯罪分子利用的风险，《通知》要求相关机构按照《中华人民共和国反洗钱法》的要求，切实履行客户身份识别、可疑交易报告等法定反洗钱义务，切实防范与比特币相关的洗钱风险。

& #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; The Notice provides that the Bitcoin Internet site, which is the main trading platform for Bitcoin, shall, in accordance with the provisions of the Telecommunication Regulations of the People's Republic of China and the Measures for the Management of Internet Information Services, be filed with the telecommunications authorities in accordance with the law. At the same time, with respect to Bitcoin's high risk of money-laundering and the risk of being exploited by criminals, the Circular requires the relevant agencies to fulfil effectively their legal anti-money-laundering obligations, such as customer identification and suspicious transaction reporting, as required by the Anti-Money Laundering Law of the People's Republic of China, in order to effectively prevent money-laundering risks associated with Bitcoin.

    为了避免因比特币等虚拟商品借“虚拟货币”之名过度炒作，损害公众利益和人民币的法定货币地位，《通知》要求金融机构、支付机构在日常工作中应当正确使用货币概念，注重加强对社会公众货币知识的教育，将正确认识货币、正确看待虚拟商品和虚拟货币、理性投资、合理控制投资风险、维护自身财产安全等观念纳入金融知识普及活动的内容，引导公众树立正确的货币观念和投资理念。

& #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; and in order to avoid overexploitation of virtual goods such as Inbitcoin in the name of “virtual currency”, to the detriment of the public interest and the legal monetary status of the renminbi, the Circular requires financial institutions and payment agencies to use the monetary concept correctly in their daily work and to focus on strengthening the education of the public about the currency in society, incorporating a proper understanding of money, a proper view of virtual goods and money, rational investment, reasonable control of investment risks, and safeguarding of their property security into financial literacy activities, and guiding the public to develop the right monetary and investment concepts.

    央行表示，人民银行将基于自身职责，继续密切关注比特币的动向和相关风险。

& #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; and the Central Bank has indicated that the People's Bank will continue to pay close attention to the movement of Bitcoin and associated risks, based on its own responsibility.