TOKYO, Mar. 1 (PNA/Kyodo) — Mt. Gox, a Tokyo-based major bitcoin exchange, filed for bankruptcy court protection on Friday, a sudden announcement after the exchange abruptly shut down all transactions of the virtual currency earlier this week.
Net current liabilities at Mt. Gox total around 6.5 billion yen, its chief Mark Karpeles said at a news conference in Tokyo, apologizing for the recent trouble that is believed to have impacted at least 1 million users of the exchange.
Karpeles admitted that the system was fragile. He said Mt. Gox was illegally accessed in early February and bitcoins may have been withdrawn, adding it has asked experts to carry forward procedures for filing a criminal complaint. (PNA/Kyodo)