WikiLeaks Shop, the merchandise arm of international anonymous publishing non profit WikiLeaks[1], reported on Twitter Friday, April 20, that their account with crypto wallet and exchange Coinbase[2] has been blocked.
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[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
— WikiLeaks Shop (@WikiLeaksShop)
WikiLeaks Shop’s tweet contains a screen grab from an alleged email from Coinbase that states the organization violated their Terms of Service and therefore “can no longer provide access to [their] service.” Coinbase has not responded to a requests for comments on the specifics of WikiLeaks Shop’s violation by press time.
All proceeds of the shop go to WikiLeaks operations, and customers can pay in Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dash, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Neo, Namecoin, Vertcoin, Monero and ZCash through Coinpayments.net.
The official WikiLeaks Twitter posted a call for a “global blockade” of Coinbase in response to the block:
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[14][15]
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks)
Bitcoin[17] (BTC) advocate Andreas M. Antonopoulos[18] tweeted that Coinbase has “repeated history,” as Bitcoin has played an important role for WikiLeaks from the time
