The WikiLeaks Shop reported that their account with the Coinbase crypto wallet has been blocked. The WikiLeaks Shop is the official merchandise arm of the international anonymous publishing non-profit WikiLeaks. It is also known for accepting Bitcoin, Litecoin, Monero, and ZCash for donations.
The WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange publicly thanked the US government via Twitter for forcing Visa, MasterCard, Payal, AmEx, Moneybookers, et al., into erecting an illegal banking blockade against @WikiLeaks starting in 2010. “It caused us [WikiLeaks] to invest in Bitcoin — with > 50000% return.” This statement is from October 2017.
Coinbase blocked the official @WikiLeaks shop
Coinbase has blocked the official @WikiLeaks shop from its platform without any prior notice or explanation.
ANNOUNCE: Coinbase has blocked the official @WikiLeaks shop from its platform without notice or explanation. You can continue to donate #Bitcoin to WikiLeaks at https://t.co/lvhoyhlqUa. #Coinbase #DefendWL #Cryptocurrency #Ethereum #BitcoinCash #ReconnectJulian pic.twitter.com/4BSS023OOk
— WikiLeaks Shop (@WikiLeaksShop) April 21, 2018
WikiLeaks calls for a global blockade of Coinbase
The non-profit quickly responded with an alternative so that customers can still pay for merchandise in various cryptocurrencies through Coinpayments.net (for those interested, the list is composed of the following: Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dash, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Neo, Namecoin, Vertcoin, Monero and ZCash).
It also posted its call for a global blockade on Twitter.
WikiLeaks will call for a global blockade of Coinbase next week as an unfit member of the crypto community. Coinbase, a large Californian Bitcoin processor, responding to a concealed influence, has blocked the entirely harmless @WikiLeaksShop in a decision approved by management. https://t.co/PAldF8b12P
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) April 21, 2018
Andreas M. Antonopoulos advocates Bitcoin
Andreas M. Antonopoulos tweeted about Bitcoin: We have come full circle. Many people’s interest in Bitcoin started when Wikileaks was out under an extra judicial embargo by VISA, MC, PayPal, and banks. Now Coinbase has repeated history.
Bitcoin has played a very important role for nonprofit WikiLeaks that wasn’t able to use traditional financial system and Bitcoin kept them literally alive.
We have come full circle. Many people’s interest in bitcoin started when Wikileaks was out under an extra judicial embargo by VISA, MC, PayPal and banks. Now Coinbase has repeated history. Oops. https://t.co/b8HQkoOwyQ
— Andreas M. Antonopoulos (@aantonop) April 21, 2018
