The Japanese government is still probing the shutdown and bankruptcy filing of Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, finance minister Taro Aso has told reporters, and is not yet sure whether any crime is involved.
HumanIPO reported last week Mt. Gox had filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan, saying it had lost large amounts of money after suffering a hack.
Earlier in the week the site was taken down amid rumours of a hack or security breach resulting in the theft of Bitcoins, while six major Bitcoin exchanges released a statement distancing themselves from the troubled Tokyo-based exchange.
The Japanese Finance Ministry has been looking into the closure.
“We still have not had a clear grasp of the situation,” Aso said in response to questions. “(We) don’t know if it was a crime or just a bankruptcy.”
Meanwhile, Mt. Gox has released a statement saying there is a “high probability” the bitcoins had been stolen through a bug in its systems, and it was investigating to find the culprits.
