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|owner=[[Mark Karpeles]]
|owner=[[Mark Karpeles]]
|parent=[[Tibanne Ltd.]]
|parent=[[Tibanne Ltd.]]
|assets_btc={{steady}} 200,000
|assets_btc={{steady}} 300,000
|assets_usd={{steady}} $57.2 million
|assets_usd={{steady}} $67.6 million
|assets_year=2015
|assets_year=2015
|equity_btc={{steady}} -644,408
|equity_btc={{steady}} -644,408
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|subreddit=mtgox
|subreddit=mtgox
|twitter=MtGox
|twitter=MtGox
}}'''Mt. Gox''', called "Mount Gox" or simply "Gox", was the most widely used bitcoin [[currency exchange]] market from its inception to late 2013.<ref>2011-06-07 on #bitcoin-otc: "MagicalTux: you could use the count of users on mtgox (went over 30k recently)"</ref> The market was closed February 25, 2014.
}}'''Mt. Gox''', called "Mount Gox" or simply "Gox", was the most widely used bitcoin [[currency exchange]] market from shortly after its inception in 2010 to its insolvency late 2013.<ref>2011-06-07 on #bitcoin-otc: "MagicalTux: you could use the count of users on mtgox (went over 30k recently)"</ref> The market was closed February 25, 2014 and has since filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan and the United States, after [[Collapse of Mt. Gox|losing 640 thousand bitcoins]].


A registrant on Mt. Gox had at least two sub-accounts: one for bitcoins (BTC), and one for fiat currency. Bitcoins were bought using funds from the trader's fiat account, and the proceeds from the sale of bitcoins were deposited into the same account. Trading always involved bitcoins as trading between different national currencies was not offered.
A registrant on Mt. Gox had at least two sub-accounts: one for bitcoins (BTC), and one for fiat currency. Bitcoins were bought using funds from the trader's fiat account, and the proceeds from the sale of bitcoins were deposited into the same account. Trading always involved bitcoins as trading between different national currencies was not offered.
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On October 10, 2010 the exchange switched from [[PayPal]] to Liberty Reserve as the main funding option as a result of chargeback fraud. Former PayPal customers still had the possibility to withdraw their USD using alternative methods.
On October 10, 2010 the exchange switched from [[PayPal]] to Liberty Reserve as the main funding option as a result of chargeback fraud. Former PayPal customers still had the possibility to withdraw their USD using alternative methods.


On March 6th, 2011 ownership of the exchange changed hands.<ref>[https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4187.0 Mtgox is changing owners]</ref> Tibanne publishes their [http://legal.tibanne.com/docs/20110801_company_certificate.pdf company certificate] from the Japanese government.
On March 6th, 2011 ownership of the exchange changed hands.<ref>[https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4187.0 Mtgox is changing owners]</ref> Mt. Gox's new parent, Tibanne, publishes their [http://legal.tibanne.com/docs/20110801_company_certificate.pdf company certificate] from the Japanese government.


On July 19, 2011 a press release announced that Mt. Gox had acquired [[MtGox Live]], a price tracker.<ref>[https://mtgox.com/press_release_20110719.html World's Leading Bitcoin Exchange, Mt.Gox, acquires MtGoxLive.com]</ref>
On July 19, 2011 a press release announced that Mt. Gox had acquired [[MtGox Live]], a price tracker.<ref>[https://mtgox.com/press_release_20110719.html World's Leading Bitcoin Exchange, Mt.Gox, acquires MtGoxLive.com]</ref>
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===Trading incidents===
===Trading incidents===
On 19 June 2011, a security breach of the Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange caused the nominal price of a bitcoin to fraudulently drop to one cent on the Mt. Gox exchange, after a hacker allegedly used credentials from a Mt. Gox auditor's compromised computer illegally to fabricate a large number of bitcoins for himself. He used the exchange's software to sell them all nominally, creating a massive "[[Ask price|ask]]" order at any price. The price eventually corrected to its correct user-traded value.<ref>[https://support.mtgox.com/entries/20224998-huge-bitcoin-sell-off-due-to-a-compromised-account-rollback Huge Bitcoin sell off due to a compromised account - rollback]</ref><ref>{{cite press release | last=Karpeles | first=Mark | title=Clarification of Mt Gox Compromised Accounts and Major Bitcoin Sell-Off | date=30 June 2011 | url=https://mtgox.com/press_release_20110630.html | publisher=Tibanne Co. Ltd. | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919162635/https://mtgox.com/press_release_20110630.html | archivedate=19 September 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|people= |date= 19 June 2011 |time= |medium= |url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1X6qQt9ONg |accessdate= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |title= Bitcoin Report Volume 8 - (FLASHCRASH) |publisher=YouTube BitcoinChannel |id= |quote= |ref= }}</ref><ref name="mick">{{cite news|last= Mick |first= Jason |title= Inside the Mega-Hack of Bitcoin: the Full Story |date= 19 June 2011 |url= http://www.dailytech.com/Inside+the+MegaHack+of+Bitcoin+the+Full+Story/article21942.htm | work=DailyTech }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Timothy B.|last=Lee |date=19 June 2011 | url=http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/06/bitcoin-price-plummets-on-compromised-exchange.ars | title=Bitcoin prices plummet on hacked exchange | work=Ars Technica | publisher=[[Condé Nast]] }}</ref><ref>Mark Karpeles, 20 June 2011, [http://bitgear.co/blogs/news/13602537-huge-bitcoin-sell-off-due-to-a-compromised-account-rollback Huge Bitcoin sell off due to a compromised account – rollback], Mt. Gox Support</ref><ref name="register1">{{cite news|title= Bitcoin collapses on malicious trade – Mt Gox scrambling to raise the Titanic |url= http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/19/bitcoin_values_collapse_again/ |date=19 June 2011 |author= Chirgwin, Richard | work=The Register }}</ref> Accounts with the equivalent of more than $8,750,000 were affected.<ref name="mick" /> In order to prove that Mt.Gox still had control of the coins, the move of 424,242 bitcoins from "cold storage" to a Mt.Gox address was announced beforehand and executed in Block 132749.<ref>http://blockexplorer.com/b/132749</ref>
On 19 June 2011, a security breach of the Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange caused the nominal price of a bitcoin to fraudulently drop to one cent on the Mt. Gox exchange, after a hacker allegedly used credentials from a Mt. Gox auditor's compromised computer illegally to fabricate a large number of bitcoins for himself. He used the exchange's software to sell them all nominally, creating a massive "[[Ask price|ask]]" order at any price. The price eventually corrected to its correct user-traded value.<ref>[https://support.mtgox.com/entries/20224998-huge-bitcoin-sell-off-due-to-a-compromised-account-rollback Huge Bitcoin sell off due to a compromised account - rollback]</ref><ref>{{cite press release | last=Karpeles | first=Mark | title=Clarification of Mt Gox Compromised Accounts and Major Bitcoin Sell-Off | date=30 June 2011 | url=https://mtgox.com/press_release_20110630.html | publisher=Tibanne Co. Ltd. | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919162635/https://mtgox.com/press_release_20110630.html | archivedate=19 September 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|people= |date= 19 June 2011 |time= |medium= |url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1X6qQt9ONg |accessdate= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |title= Bitcoin Report Volume 8 - (FLASHCRASH) |publisher=YouTube BitcoinChannel |id= |quote= |ref= }}</ref><ref name="mick">{{cite news|last= Mick |first= Jason |title= Inside the Mega-Hack of Bitcoin: the Full Story |date= 19 June 2011 |url= http://www.dailytech.com/Inside+the+MegaHack+of+Bitcoin+the+Full+Story/article21942.htm | work=DailyTech }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Timothy B.|last=Lee |date=19 June 2011 | url=http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/06/bitcoin-price-plummets-on-compromised-exchange.ars | title=Bitcoin prices plummet on hacked exchange | work=Ars Technica | publisher=[[Condé Nast]] }}</ref><ref>Mark Karpeles, 20 June 2011, [http://bitgear.co/blogs/news/13602537-huge-bitcoin-sell-off-due-to-a-compromised-account-rollback Huge Bitcoin sell off due to a compromised account – rollback], Mt. Gox Support</ref><ref name="register1">{{cite news|title= Bitcoin collapses on malicious trade – Mt Gox scrambling to raise the Titanic |url= http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/19/bitcoin_values_collapse_again/ |date=19 June 2011 |author= Chirgwin, Richard | work=The Register }}</ref> Accounts with the equivalent of more than $8,750,000 were affected.<ref name="mick" /> In order to prove that Mt.Gox still had control of the coins, the move of 424,242 bitcoins from "cold storage" to a Mt.Gox address was announced beforehand and executed in Block 132749.<ref>{{cite block|132749|hash=00000000000004bea72d0f390194b08162665a4fc99469c576338cd37164a15a|year=2011|month=06|day=23}}</ref> It was later revealed that the coins may have never been in cold storage, as the proof-of-solvency transaction was broadcast through a remote Linux desktop and a single hot wallet.<ref>{{cite reddit|r=Bitcoin|id=3fe92x|title=I'm Ashley Barr, A.K.A "Adam Turner", the first Mt.Gox employee, and alleged DPR (:/). AMA|date=1 August 2015|post=https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/3fe92x/im_ashley_barr_aka_adam_turner_the_first_mtgox/ctnuo6u}}</ref>


In October 2011, about two dozen transactions appeared in the block chain (Block 150951)<ref>http://blockexplorer.com/b/150951</ref> that sent a total of 2,609 BTC to invalid scripts. As they were impossible to satisfy/redeem, these Bitcoins were effectively destroyed.
In October 2011, about two dozen transactions appeared in the block chain (Block 150951)<ref>http://blockexplorer.com/b/150951</ref> that sent a total of 2,609 BTC to invalid scripts. As they were impossible to satisfy/redeem, these Bitcoins were effectively destroyed.
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===Bankruptcy and shutdown===
===Bankruptcy and shutdown===
 
{{main|Collapse of Mt. Gox}}
On 7 February 2014, all Bitcoin withdrawals were halted by Mt. Gox.<ref name=doughterty2014>{{cite news | work=Bloomberg | date=7 February 2014 | url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-07/bitcoin-price-falls-as-mt-gox-exchange-halts-activity.html | title= Bitcoin Price Plunges as Mt. Gox Exchange Halts Activity | last=Dougherty | first=Carter | accessdate=9 February 2014 }}</ref> The company said it was pausing withdrawal requests “to obtain a clear technical view of the currency processes”.<ref name=doughterty2014/> The company issued a press release on February 10, 2014 stating that the issue was due to transaction malleability: “A bug in the bitcoin software makes it possible for someone to use the Bitcoin network to alter transaction details to make it seem like a sending of bitcoins to a bitcoin wallet did not occur when in fact it did occur. Since the transaction appears as if it has not proceeded correctly, the bitcoins may be resent. Mt. Gox is working with the Bitcoin core development team and others to mitigate this issue.”<ref>{{cite press release | title=Update - Statement Regarding BTC Withdrawal Delays | publisher=Mt. Gox Co. Ltd. | date=10 February 2014 | url=https://www.mtgox.com/press_release_20140210.html | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210122955/https://www.mtgox.com/press_release_20140210.html | archivedate=10 February 2014 }}</ref><ref>http://www.pokerupdate.com/news/business-and-finance/mt-gox-shutdown-puts-bitcoin-investors-on-edge/</ref>
 
On 17 February 2014, with all Mt. Gox withdrawals still halted and competing exchanges back in full operation, the company published another press release indicating the steps they claim they are taking to address security issues.<ref>{{cite press release | title=20140217-Announcement: Tokyo, Japan, February 17th, 2014 | url=https://www.mtgox.com/img/pdf/20140217-Announcement.pdf | format=PDF | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.mtgox.com/img/pdf/20140217-Announcement.pdf | archivedate=17 February 2014 | date=17 February 2014 | location=Tokyo | publisher=Mt. Gox }}</ref> In an email interview with the ''Wall Street Journal'', CEO Mark Karpelès refused to comment on increasing concerns among customers about the financial status of the exchange, did not give a definite date on which withdrawals would be resumed, and wrote that the exchange would impose "new daily and monthly limits" on withdrawals if and when they were resumed.<ref>{{cite news |
url=http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304899704579388483531937144?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304899704579388483531937144.html |
title=Bitcoin Platform Mt. Gox Apologizes for Delayed Response - CEO Karpeles Declines To Shed Light On How Customer Funds Are Protected |
publisher=Wall Street Journal |
author=Mochizuki, Takashi and Warnock, Eleanor |
date=February 17, 2014 }}</ref> A poll of 3000 Mt. Gox customers by CoinDesk indicated that 68% of customers were still awaiting funds from Mt. Gox.  The median waiting time was between one to three months. 21% of poll respondents had been waiting for three months or more.<ref>{{cite news |
url=http://www.coindesk.com/mt-gox-users-awaiting-funds-survey-reveals/ |
title=68% of Mt. Gox Users Still Awaiting Their Funds, Survey Reveals |
date=15 February 2014 |
publisher=Coin Desk |
author=Wong, Joon Ian}}</ref>
 
On 20 February 2014, with all withdrawals still halted, Mt. Gox issued yet another statement, giving no date for the resumption of withdrawals.<ref name=cnbcfury>{{cite news |
url = http://www.cnbc.com/id/101431022 |
title=Bitcoin investor fury at Mt Gox delays |
date=February 20, 2014 |
publisher=CNBC |
author=Clinch, Matt}}</ref> A protest by two Bitcoin enthusiasts outside the building that houses the Mt. Gox headquarters in Tokyo continued.
Citing "security concerns", Mt. Gox announced they had moved their offices to a different location in Shibuya. Bitcoin prices quoted by Mt. Gox dropped below 20% of the prices on other exchanges, reflecting the market's estimate of the unlikelihood of Mt. Gox paying their customers.<ref>{{cite news |
url=http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/19/5425220/protest-at-mt-gox-bitcoin-exchange-in-tokyo |
title=Mt. Gox, where is our money? |
date=February 20, 2014 |
publisher=The Verge |
author=Byford, Sam}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |
title=Bitcoin exchange in Downward Spiral: "Mt Gox has left the building" |
publisher=Heise |
date=February 20, 2014 |
location=Hannover, Germany |
url=http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Bitcoin-Boerse-in-Abwaertsspirale-Mt-Gox-has-left-the-building-2119550.html }}</ref>
 
On 23 February 2014, Mark Karpelès, the CEO of Mt. Gox, resigned from the board of the [[Bitcoin Foundation]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/24/mtgox-bitcoinfoundation-idUSL3N0LT15X20140224 | work=Reuters | date=February 23, 2014 | title=Mt. Gox resigns from Bitcoin Foundation | accessdate=25 February 2014 }}</ref> The same day, all posts on their Twitter account were removed.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.businessinsider.com/mtgox-resigns-from-bitcoin-foundation-2014-2 | publisher=Business Insider | date=February 23, 2014 | title=MtGox Resigns From Bitcoin Foundation, Deletes All Tweets From Twitter Feed | accessdate=25 February 2014}}</ref>
 
On 24 February 2014, Mt. Gox suspended all trading, and hours later its website went offline, returning a blank page.<ref name="WiredGox"/><ref name="NYTGox"/><ref>{{cite news | url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/website-bitcoin-exchange-mt-gox-offline | first1=Yuriko | last1=Nagano | first2=Stephen | last2=Wright | title=Website of Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox offline | work=Associated Press | date=25 February 2014 | accessdate=25 February 2014}}</ref> An alleged leaked internal crisis management document claimed that the company was insolvent, after losing 744,408 bitcoins in a theft which went undetected for years.<ref name="WiredGox">{{cite news | url=http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2014/02/bitcoins-mt-gox-implodes/?cid=co19086554 | title=Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox implodes amid allegations of $350 million hack| first=Robert |last=McMillan|work=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=24 February 2014|accessdate=25 February 2014}}</ref><ref name="NYTGox">{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/25/business/apparent-theft-at-mt-gox-shakes-bitcoin-world.html | title=Apparent theft at Mt. Gox shakes Bitcoin world|first1=Nathaniel|last1=Popper|first2=Rachel|last2=Abrams|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=25 February 2014|accessdate=25 February 2014}}</ref><ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/27/how-does-a-bug-in-bitcoin-lead-to-mtgoxs-collapse How a bug in bitcoin led to MtGox's collapse], Alex Hern, [[The Guardian]], Feb. 27, 2014</ref><ref>[http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/02/25/mt-gox-ceo-says-on-internet-chat-hasnt-given-up/]</ref> Six other major bitcoin exchanges released a joint statement distancing themselves from Mt. Gox, shortly before Mt. Gox's website went offline.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/mtgox-website-idUSL3N0LU1N920140225 | work=Reuters | title=Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox's website down | date=25 February 2014 | accessdate=25 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release | title=The Coinbase Blog - Joint Statement Regarding MtGox | date=24 February 2014 | work=The Coinbase Blog |publisher=Coinbase| url=http://blog.coinbase.com/post/77766809700/joint-statement-regarding-mtgox | accessdate=24 February 2014}}</ref>
 
On 25 February 2014, Mt. Gox reported on its website that a "decision was taken to close all transactions for the time being", citing "recent news reports and the potential repercussions on MtGox's operations". The chief executive, Mark Karpelès told ''Reuters'' that Mt. Gox was "at a turning point".<ref name=Reuters-closed>{{cite news|title=Mt. Gox website says all transactions closed "for the time being"|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/us-mtgox-website-idUSBREA1O07920140225|accessdate=25 February 2014|newspaper=Reuters|date=25 February 2014}}</ref><ref name=Lowery-end>{{cite news|last=Lowery|first=Adrian|title=Is it the beginning of the end for Bitcoin? Virtual currency in turmoil as rumoured $375m theft closes major exchange |url=http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2567436/Bitcoin-turmoil-rumoured-375m-theft-closes-major-exchange.html|accessdate=25 February 2014|newspaper=This is money|date=25 February 2014}}</ref><ref name=Anklam-offline>{{cite news|last=Anklam|first=Fred|title=Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox goes offline amid turmoil|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/02/25/mt-gox-offline/5801093/|accessdate=25 February 2014|newspaper=USA Today|date=25 February 2014}}</ref><ref name=Vaishampayan>{{cite news|last=Vaishampayan|first=Saumya|title=Mt. Gox says transactions closed 'for time being'|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mt-gox-says-transactions-closed-for-time-being-2014-02-25?link=MW_home_latest_news|accessdate=25 February 2014|newspaper=Market Watch|date=25 February 2014}}</ref>
 
On 28 February 2014 Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy protection in Tokyo, reporting that it had liabilities of about 6.5 billion Japanese yen ($64 million at the time), and 3.84 billion yen in assets.<ref name=warnock2014>{{cite news | first1=Eleanor | last1=Warnock | first2=Takashi | last2=Mochizuki | first3=Alexander|last3=Martin | date=28 February 2014 | work=The Wall Street Journal | url=http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/SB10001424052702303801304579410010379087576 | title=Mt. Gox files for bankruptcy protection | accessdate=28 February 2014}}</ref><ref name=takemoto2014>{{cite news | title=Mt. Gox files for bankruptcy, blames hackers for losses | url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/28/us-bitcoin-mtgox-bankruptcy-idUSBREA1R0FX20140228 | first1=Yoshifumi |last1=Takemoto |first2=Sophie |last2=Knight|work=Reuters|date=28 February 2014|accessdate=28 February 2014}}</ref> The company said they had lost almost 750,000 of its customers' bitcoins, and around 100,000 of its own bitcoins, totaling around 7% of all bitcoins, and worth around $473 million near the time of the filing.<ref name=warnock2014/><ref name=takemoto2014/> Mt. Gox released a statement saying "The company believes there is a high possibility that the Bitcoins were stolen,”<ref name="Bloomberg28">[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-28/mt-gox-exchange-files-for-bankruptcy.html Mt. Gox Seeks Bankruptcy After $480 Million Bitcoin Loss], Carter Dougherty and Grace Huang, [[Bloomberg News]], Feb. 28, 2014</ref> blaming hackers,<ref name=titan /> thus beginning a search for the missing money. Chief Executive of Mt. Gox, Mark Karpelès, said technical issues opened up the way for fraudulent withdrawals.
 
Mt. Gox also faces lawsuits from its customers.<ref name="Sidel-bitcoin vanish">{{cite news|last=Sidel|first=Robin|title=Almost Half a Billion Worth of Bitcoins Vanish|url=http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303801304579410010379087576?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303801304579410010379087576.html%3Fmod%3DWSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection|accessdate=3 March 2014|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=28 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.investing.com/news/economy-news/mtgox-boss-sued-for-bitcoin-losses-270031 | title=
MtGox Boss Sued For Bitcoin Losses | work=[[Investing.com]] | date=4 March 2014}}</ref>
 
On 9 March 2014, Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy protection in the US, to temporarily halt U.S. legal action by traders who alleged the operation was a fraud.<ref name=Finley-bankruptcy>{{cite news|last=Finley|first=Klint|title=Bitcoin Exchange Mt. Gox Files for U.S. Bankruptcy as Death Spiral Continues|url=http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2014/03/gox-texas/|accessdate=11 March 2014|newspaper=Wired|date=10 March 2014}}</ref><ref name=Hals-bankrupt>{{cite news|last=Hals|first=Tom|title=Mt. Gox files U.S. bankruptcy, opponents call it a ruse|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/10/us-bitcoin-mtgox-bankruptcy-idUSBREA290WU20140310|accessdate=11 March 2014|newspaper=Reuters|date=10 March 2014}}</ref><ref name=NYP-Bankrupt>{{cite news|title=Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox files for US bankruptcy|url=http://nypost.com/2014/03/10/bitcoin-exchange-mt-gox-files-for-us-bankruptcy/|accessdate=11 March 2014|newspaper=New York Post|date=10 March 2014}}</ref>
 
On 20 March 2014, Mt. Gox reported on its website that it found some bitcoins — worth around $116 million — in an old digital wallet from 2011. That brings the total number of bitcoins the firm lost down to 650,000 from 850,000.<ref>{{cite web
|url        = https://www.mtgox.com/img/pdf/20140320-btc-announce.pdf
|title      = 当社保有ビットコインの残高に関するお知らせ / Announcement regarding the balance of Bitcoin held by the company
|subtitle    =
|author      = Karpeles, Mark
|quote      = MtGox Co., Ltd. had certain old­format wallets which were used in the past and which, MtGox
thought, no longer held any bitcoins. Following the application for commencement of a civil rehabilitation proceeding, these wallets were rescanned and their balance researched. On March 7,  2014, MtGox Co., Ltd. confirmed that an old­format wallet which was used prior to June 2011 held a  balance of approximately 200,000 BTC (199,999.99 BTC).
|date        = 2014-03-20
|format      = PDF
|work        =
|publisher  = MtGox
|accessdate  = 2014-03-22
|description =
|deadurl    =
}}</ref>
 
On April 14, Mt. Gox lawyers said that Mark Karpeles wouldn't appear for a deposition in a Dallas court, or heed a subpoena by FinCEN.<ref name=titan>{{cite news|last=Mochizuki|first=Takashi|title=Tracing a Bitcoin's Exchange's Fall From the Top to Shutdown Mark Karpelès hoped to set up a bitcoin cafe in the building where his exchange rented space.|url=http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304311204579508300513992292?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304311204579508300513992292.html|accessdate=22 April 2014|newspaper=WSJ|date=20 April 2014}}</ref>
On 16 April 2014, Mt. Gox gave up its plan to rebuild under bankruptcy protection, and asked a Tokyo court to allow it to be liquidated.<ref>http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/SB10001424052702303663604579504691512965308-lMyQjAxMTA0MDEwNTExNDUyWj</ref>


==See Also==
==See Also==
Line 163: Line 100:
<references/>
<references/>


[[Category:Mt. Gox]]
[[Category:Exchanges]]
[[Category:Exchanges]]
[[Category:eWallets]]
[[Category:eWallets]]

Latest revision as of 18:38, 2 August 2015

Mt. Gox
IndustryFiat exchange
FoundedJuly 18, 2010
DefunctFebruary 25, 2014
HeadquartersShibuya, Tokyo, Japan
Founder(s)Jed McCaleb
Key peopleMark Karpeles
ParentTibanne Ltd.
Websitehttps://mtgox.com
 Reddit  Twitter 

Mt. Gox, called "Mount Gox" or simply "Gox", was the most widely used bitcoin currency exchange market from shortly after its inception in 2010 to its insolvency late 2013.[1] The market was closed February 25, 2014 and has since filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan and the United States, after losing 640 thousand bitcoins.

A registrant on Mt. Gox had at least two sub-accounts: one for bitcoins (BTC), and one for fiat currency. Bitcoins were bought using funds from the trader's fiat account, and the proceeds from the sale of bitcoins were deposited into the same account. Trading always involved bitcoins as trading between different national currencies was not offered.

Trades on Mt. Gox's executed from balances on deposit with the exchange which in turn made trading on the market instantaneous, compared to most other Bitcoin markets of 2010 where a subsequent settlement occurred manually between the trading partners. The disadvantage of this was that a third party had to be trusted with keeping the money safe.

Mt. Gox was originally started by Jed McCaleb in July 2010, and was sold to Tibanne Co. in Japan in March 2011.

Trading

Buying and selling

A buy order was executed partially or in full when the price bid could be matched against a sell order that was at or below the bid amount. A sell order was executed partially or in full when the price asked could be matched against a buy order that was at or above the ask amount. Orders that could not be matched immediately remain in the orderbook.

Unfunded orders did not appear in the order book, but were automatically inserted when a deposit was credited. For example, Mt. Gox allowed the entry of a "buy" order even if the account had insufficient funds. If possible, Mt. Gox would execute a portion of the order if it could be partially funded. If a deposit was later credited and the deposit resolves the insufficient funds status of an outstanding order, the order would be immediately activated, and if possible, executed.

Fees

Mt. Gox charged a trading fee of up to 0.6% from each party of successful trades made through the market. The fee appeared in the account history next to each trade. The trading fee was discounted for larger customers based on volume, which was calculated as a sliding window over the last 720 hours (30 days).

The fees were, by default, subtracted from the proceeds of each trade (e.g., a buy of 1.0 BTC will add to the account balance 0.994 BTC when the exchange fee is 0.6%). An account setting would allow fees to be added to the purchase amount instead (e.g., buying 1.0 BTC at $5 will cost about $5.03 when the exchange fee is 0.6%).

History

The exchange went online on July 18, 2010.[2]

On October 10, 2010 the exchange switched from PayPal to Liberty Reserve as the main funding option as a result of chargeback fraud. Former PayPal customers still had the possibility to withdraw their USD using alternative methods.

On March 6th, 2011 ownership of the exchange changed hands.[3] Mt. Gox's new parent, Tibanne, publishes their company certificate from the Japanese government.

On July 19, 2011 a press release announced that Mt. Gox had acquired MtGox Live, a price tracker.[4]

Announced on March 6, 2012 was the Merchant Solution and API[5]

Trading incidents

On 19 June 2011, a security breach of the Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange caused the nominal price of a bitcoin to fraudulently drop to one cent on the Mt. Gox exchange, after a hacker allegedly used credentials from a Mt. Gox auditor's compromised computer illegally to fabricate a large number of bitcoins for himself. He used the exchange's software to sell them all nominally, creating a massive "ask" order at any price. The price eventually corrected to its correct user-traded value.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Accounts with the equivalent of more than $8,750,000 were affected.[9] In order to prove that Mt.Gox still had control of the coins, the move of 424,242 bitcoins from "cold storage" to a Mt.Gox address was announced beforehand and executed in Block 132749.[13] It was later revealed that the coins may have never been in cold storage, as the proof-of-solvency transaction was broadcast through a remote Linux desktop and a single hot wallet.[14]

In October 2011, about two dozen transactions appeared in the block chain (Block 150951)[15] that sent a total of 2,609 BTC to invalid scripts. As they were impossible to satisfy/redeem, these Bitcoins were effectively destroyed.

On 22 February 2013, following an introduction of new anti-money laundering requirements by Dwolla, some Dwolla accounts became temporarily restricted. As a result, transactions from Mt. Gox to those accounts were cancelled by Dwolla. The funds never made it back to Mt. Gox accounts. Mt. Gox help desk issued the following comment: "Please be advised that you are actually not allowed to cancel any withdrawals received from Mt. Gox as we have never had this case before and we are working with Dwolla to locate your returned funds." The funds were finally returned on May 3, more than 3 months later, with a note "Please be advised never to cancel any Dwolla withdrawals from us again".

In March 2013, the new 0.8.0 version of Bitcoin Core temporarily forked off the main blockchain using differing rules on how transactions could be accepted. The Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange briefly halted bitcoin deposits. Bitcoin prices briefly dipped by 23% to $37 as the event occurred[16][17] before recovering to their previous level in the following hours, a price of approximately $48.[18]

Suspension of trading 2013

Mt. Gox suspended trading on 11 April 2013 until 12 April 2013 2 am UTC for a "market cooldown".[19] The value of a single bitcoin fell to a low of $55.59 after the resumption of trading before stabilizing above $100. Around mid May 2013, Mt. Gox traded 150,000 bitcoins per day per Bitcoin Charts.[20]

Mt. Gox suspended withdrawals in US dollars on June 20, 2013.[21] The Mizuho Bank branch in Tokyo that handled Mt. Gox transactions pressured Mt. Gox from then on to close its account.[20] On July 4, 2013, Mt. Gox announced that it had "fully resumed" withdrawals, but as of September 5, 2013, few US dollar withdrawals had been successfully completed.[22][23][24]

On August 5, 2013, Mt. Gox announced that they incurred "significant losses" due to crediting deposits which had not fully cleared and that new deposits would no longer be credited until the funds transfer was fully completed.[25]

CoinLab lawsuit and Homeland Security seizure of US funds

On 2 May 2013 CoinLab filed a $75 million lawsuit against Mt. Gox alleging a breach of contract.[26] The companies had formed a partnership in February 2013 under which CoinLab handled all of Mt. Gox's North American services.[26] CoinLab's lawsuit contends that Mt. Gox failed to allow them to move existing U.S. and Canadian customers from Mt. Gox to CoinLab.[26]

On 15 May 2013 the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a warrant to seize money from Mt. Gox's US subsidiary's account with payment processor Dwolla.[27] The warrant suggests the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an investigative branch of the DHS, felt that the subsidiary, which was not licensed by the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), was operating as an unregistered money transmitter in the US.[27][28] Between May and July more than $5 million were seized. [20] On 29 June 2013, Mt. Gox received its money services business (MSB) license from FinCEN.[28]

Withdrawals delayed or refused

Wired Magazine reported in November 2013 that customers were experiencing delays of weeks to months in withdrawing funds from their accounts.[29] The article said that the company had “effectively been frozen out of the U.S. banking system because of its regulatory problems”. Customer complaints about long delays were mounting as of February 2014, with more than 3300 posts in a thread about the topic on the BitcoinTalk online forum.[30]

Bankruptcy and shutdown

Main article: Collapse of Mt. Gox

See Also

References

  1. ↑ 2011-06-07 on #bitcoin-otc: "MagicalTux: you could use the count of users on mtgox (went over 30k recently)"
  2. ↑ MtGox announcement on forum
  3. ↑ Mtgox is changing owners
  4. ↑ World's Leading Bitcoin Exchange, Mt.Gox, acquires MtGoxLive.com
  5. ↑ Mt.Gox launches the definitive bitcoin checkout solution
  6. ↑ Huge Bitcoin sell off due to a compromised account - rollback
  7. ↑ Template:Cite press release
  8. ↑ Template:Cite AV media
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Mick, Jason (19 June 2011). "Inside the Mega-Hack of Bitcoin: the Full Story". DailyTech. http://www.dailytech.com/Inside+the+MegaHack+of+Bitcoin+the+Full+Story/article21942.htm.
  10. ↑ Lee, Timothy B. (19 June 2011). "Bitcoin prices plummet on hacked exchange". Ars Technica (Condé Nast). http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/06/bitcoin-price-plummets-on-compromised-exchange.ars.
  11. ↑ Mark Karpeles, 20 June 2011, Huge Bitcoin sell off due to a compromised account – rollback, Mt. Gox Support
  12. ↑ Chirgwin, Richard (19 June 2011). "Bitcoin collapses on malicious trade – Mt Gox scrambling to raise the Titanic". The Register. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/19/bitcoin_values_collapse_again/.
  13. ↑ Block 132749. Main chain. 2011-06-23. Hash 00000000000004bea72d0f390194b08162665a4fc99469c576338cd37164a15a. Block explorer
  14. ↑ /r/Bitcoin thread 3fe92x. I'm Ashley Barr, A.K.A "Adam Turner", the first Mt.Gox employee, and alleged DPR (:/). AMA 1 August 2015. This post
  15. ↑ http://blockexplorer.com/b/150951
  16. ↑ Lee, Timothy. "Major glitch in Bitcoin network sparks sell-off; price temporarily falls 23%". Ars Technica (Condé Nast). http://arstechnica.com/business/2013/03/major-glitch-in-bitcoin-network-sparks-sell-off-price-temporarily-falls-23/. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  17. ↑ Blagdon, Jeff. "Technical problems cause Bitcoin to plummet from record high, Mt. Gox suspends deposits". The Verge. http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/12/4092898/technical-problems-cause-bitcoin-to-plummet-from-record-high. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  18. ↑ "Bitcoin Charts". Bitcoin Charts. http://bitcoincharts.com/charts/mtgoxUSD#rg60zczsg2013-03-12zeg2013-03-15ztgSzm1g10zm2g25zv.
  19. ↑ "Twitter / MtGox: Trading is suspended until". Twitter.com. https://twitter.com/MtGox/status/322355614414147588. Retrieved 2014-02-17.Template:Dead link
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named titan
  21. ↑ McMillan, Robert (20 June 2013). "Bitcoin’s Big Bank Problem: Why Did Mt. Gox Halt U.S. Payouts?". Wired (Condé Nast). http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/06/mt-gox-stops/.
  22. ↑ Vigna, Paul (5 July 2013). "Bitcoin operator Mt. Gox resumes withdrawals". The Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2013/07/05/bitcoin-operator-mt-gox-resumes-withdrawals/.
  23. ↑ Vigna, Paul (31 July 2013). "Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox still grappling with slowdown". The Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2013/07/30/bitcoin-exchange-mt-gox-still-grappling-with-slowdown/.
  24. ↑ Marron, Donald (3 September 2013). "How Bitcoin spreads violate a fundamental economic law". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/sites/beltway/2013/09/03/how-bitcoin-spreads-violate-a-fundamental-economic-law/.
  25. ↑ Template:Cite press release
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Chen, Adrian (2 May 2013). "Massive Bitcoin Business Partnership Devolves Into $75 Million Lawsuit". Gawker Media. http://gawker.com/massive-bitcoin-business-partnership-devolves-into-75-487857656. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Dillet, Romain (16 May 2013). "Feds Seize Assets From Mt. Gox’s Dwolla Account, Accuse It Of Violating Money Transfer Regulations". TechCrunch (AOL Inc.). http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/16/mt-gox-dwolla-account-money-seizure/. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Buterin, Vitalik (29 June 2013). "MtGox Gets FinCEN MSB License". Bitcoin Magazine (Coin Publishing Ltd.). http://bitcoinmagazine.com/5560/mtgox-gets-fincen-msb-license/. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  29. ↑ McMillan, Robert; Metz, Cade (6 November 2013). "The rise and fall of the world's largest Bitcoin exchange". Wired (Condé Nast). http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/11/mtgox/. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  30. ↑ Wong, Joon Ian (4 February 2014). "Poll: Are you having Mt. Gox withdrawal issues?". CoinDesk. http://www.coindesk.com/poll-mt-gox-withdrawal-issues/. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
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