Chinanews.com, November 23. According to the Greek "China Greek Times" report, at present, there are bitcoin (a digital currency) ATMs in Greece. People can use the machine to deposit cash at any time and transfer digital currency to deposit. In its special digital wallet, the same operation is also suitable for withdrawing cash from the digital wallet without any supervision during the whole process.
There are certain security loopholes in the currency's circulation, which has attracted the attention of the Greek government.
According to the report, Bitcoin, as a virtual currency, runs in parallel with the conventional currency system, and there is no institution that can monitor the source or destination of funds.
This is a well-known problem internationally.
Recently, the relevant Greek authorities noticed that there is a "black hole" in this virtual currency, and funds in exchange may be transferred to this black hole by illegal means.
In Greece, the authority to supervise and form a regulatory framework is granted to the Capital Market Committee, rather than being controlled by the central bank as in other countries.
Therefore, many people think that digital cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are securities assets, not currencies.
Internationally, there are even yachts that use Bitcoin for payment that are sold anonymously.
According to the report, many such terminal service outlets have emerged in bookstores, corner shops, small supermarkets and other places in Athens and other Greek cities. People are paying more and more attention to the operation and use of this gray market.
Natasha Sturm, vice president of the Greek Capital Market Committee, said: “The strong anonymity and fast transactions make it easier to hide the movement of funds, and the characteristics of unregulated and separated from the credit system have enhanced the transfer and storage capabilities of cryptocurrencies. , Illegal activities related to this emerge in an endless stream, and these activities cannot be detected and resolved in a timely and effective manner.” She also pointed out that more than 100 companies in Greece have accepted cryptocurrency as payment methods.
According to the Intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force (FATF), illegal activities related to cryptocurrency include trafficking and sale of drugs and other prohibited items, such as weapons.
At the same time, it is suspected of fraud, extortion, tax evasion, cyber attacks, human trafficking and unlicensed financial services, etc., and cryptocurrency is often used to raise illegal funds and evade financial sanctions.
(Zhang Wei)