Russian Bitcoin Site Ban Lifted

A court has overturned the ban of several Bitcoin related sites in Russia.

In January, Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media blacklisted at least seven Bitcoin sites, including bitcoin.org, indacoin.com, coinspot.ru, hasbitcoin.ru, bitcoinconf.ru, bitcoin.it, and btcsec.com. No specific reason was offered at the time, although the more general Bitcoin ban that has been proposed would also prohibit disseminating information.

Representatives of btcsec.com ("Bitcoin Security") had petitioned a Yekaterinburg district court judge that the proposed ban had not yet taken effect. Government representatives had reportedly attempted to block their appeal, but the judge rejected their motion. In a second hearing last week, it was ruled that the district court of Nevyansk, which originally spearheaded the ban, ruled incorrectly. The sites are now back online.

While a small victory for Bitcoin fans in the country and around the world, it may be soon overshadowed by a broader ban of Bitcoin, a proposal backed by Deputy Minister of Finance Alexey Moiseev. In general, the state of Bitcoin has been in flux for well over a year. Authorities have switched between various positions on its legality, and further reversals of rulings on the matter are not impossible.