UK Bank Barclays Blocks Payments to Binance

U.K. bank Barclays said Monday it is blocking customers from using their debit and credit cards to make payments to crypto exchange Binance.

• "With effect from today, Barclays intends to stop credit and debit card payments to Binance," Barclays said in an email to CoinDesk. "This action does not impact on the ability for customers to withdraw funds from Binance."
• The bank has been contacting customers who have used their cards on Binance this year, advising them it is stopping payments until further notice, according to tweets.
• The decision follows shortly after the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced that Binance was not allowed to conduct any regulated activities in the country.
• Regulators in other markets including Japan and Canada have offered similar warnings in recent weeks, with one in Thailand even threatening criminal charges.
• Binance had not responded to CoinDesk's request for comment by press time.

Read more: Binance Not Authorized to Operate in the Cayman Islands, Regulator Says

UPDATE (JULY 5, 16:01UTC): Rewrites top of story to reflect comment from Barclays.