Weeks After Seizure, Troubled Bitcoin Exchange BTC-e Is Back Online

BTC-e, the bitcoin exchange charged by US authorities last month with a host of money laundering crimes, has launched a new website weeks after its original one was seized by law enforcement.

The site is accessible through the domain btc-e.nz, though it appears that users in some parts of the world, including the U.S., are not able to log in. CoinDesk was able to access the domain through the use of a virtual private network, or VPN.

For now, users appear to be limited to being able to check their funds balances and post messages in the BTC-e chat box.

In a post on the Bitcoin Talk forum yesterday, a representative for the exchange said that user access would form part of a broader relaunch plan that will see BTC-e rebrand under the auspices of what they say will be a regulated investment firm.

At press time, 3,239 users of the site are logged in, according to statistics posted on the BTC-e page.

As CoinDesk previously reported, Greek authorities – acting on a US warrant – arrested a Russian national last month who they alleged helped operated the BTC-e exchange – an accusation that representatives for BTC-e later denied.

After its domain had been seized and an indictment was handed down by US prosecutors, those left in control took to a long-used Bitcoin Talk account to announce a revival plan. Part of that plan, as reported at the time, involves the launch of a debt token aimed at recouping some of the losses for users.

An update on the new BTC-e page recommended that users reset their security settings, given the recent moves by US authorities.

"Because of the seizure of the data, there is a high risk that it has been compromised. That is why in order to protect your funds, you need to refresh the security settings," the message states.

CoinDesk will continue monitoring this developing story.