Bithumb, the cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea, is preparing to close some of its offices due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
According to an announcement on Nov. 23, Bithumb will be temporarily suspending its offline support center in Gangnam to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Bithumb stated that the number of domestic confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease has increased, causing local authorities to adopt more preventive measures.
Bithumb’s support center in Seoul will be closed on Nov. 24 pending further notice. At the same time, Bithumb will operate an online customer support center.
Bithumb has been actively posting on its blog in the last months, but none of the announcements have touched upon a reported investigation targeting its executives. According to reports, South Korean police conducted at least two raids on Bithumb’s offices in connection to the alleged fraud, while the company’s chairman Lee Jung-hoon was reportedly summoned for interrogation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the blockchain and crypto industry so far, obviously being one of the important reasons behind Bitcoin’s (BTC) parabolic rise in 2020. According to some industry executives, COVID-19 did not negatively impact the blockchain industry but drove increased demand for blockchain innovation.
This was reported by cointelegraph.com on Nov.23,2020.
