Various banks around the world take drastic action when they find out customers have been using their account to buy or sell Bitcoin. In most cases, bank accounts will be closed without notice or second thought, leaving customers hanging out to dry. When this scenario happens, there is very little a consumer can do, other than finding a more Bitcoin-friendly bank.
Also read: Bitcoin Offers A Chance For Increased Purchasing Power, Unlike Fiat Currency
Bank Account Closed Due To Bitcoin
The worst thing is that this is not the fault of the consumer per se, as they will hardly ever tell their bank about Bitcoin intentions to begin with. However, once they buy or sell Bitcoin through that bank account, a transaction may contain a message field stating the word ‘Bitcoin”, which will set off internal alarms.
It is important to keep in mind not just every bank in the world will take these actions, as there are various smaller banks who are not too worried about Bitcoin transactions just yet. However, the bigger banks may close down an account without any prior notice, and moving funds out of that account can be quite a difficult challenge.
There are several ways to circumvent this issue, for example by making a cash deposit to any UK bank and ask them to transfer the funds to one particular Bitcoin exchange’s account. Another option is to change to a smaller bank – or setting up a separate account just for Bitcoin purposes.
It is hard to judge whether this problem is linked to the term “Bitcoin” in a message field when making or receiving a transaction, or whether it is because a plastic card linked to that account has been linked to a Bitcoin service. For example, when adding a debit card linked to one’s bank account to a Coinbase account, it might get flagged internally by the bank as well.
Finding a Bitcoin-friendly Bank
One popular alternative is finding a bank that is more open towards the idea of Bitcoin and digital currency. Unfortunately, it is impossible to guess which banks are more open-minded compared to others in that regard, as this will usually have to happen through trial and error. Not something a lot of people are looking forward to by any means.
Fidor Bank presents an excellent alternative, in this regard, even though their services are limited to the United Kingdom and Germany for the time being. However, for those UK customers, opening an account with Fidor Bank will definitely help, as they are far more open-minded when it comes to Bitcoin.
Source: Reddit
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