Quote from: btcney on September 12, 2017, 11:29:53 AM

The so called report collected from trusted sources within Chinese officials is probably nothing more than something that a trader who had significant amounts of short positions piled up, leveraged, ready to make a profit commissioning these news reporters to make up news from thin air.

The Chinese central bank put out a statement in English:

http://www.pbc.gov.cn/english/130721/3377816/index.html

Quote

I. The Essential Attributes of Fundraising Through Coin Offering

Financing through coin offerings refer to financing bodies raising virtual currencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum from investors through illegal sales and circulation of crypto currency or tokens. Such offerings, in essence, are unauthorized and illegal public fundraising and are suspected of involving in criminal activities such as illegal selling of tokens, illegal issuance of securities, illegal fundraising, financial fraud and pyramid schemes. The competent authorities will closely monitor the related developments, strengthen coordination with the judicial departments and local governments, strictly enforce the law and work based on the current mechanism, and resolutely clamp down on market irregularities. Any suspected crimes, once identified, will be transferred to judicial department.

The token or virtual currency used in coin offerings are not issued by the monetary authority. Such currency does not have characteristics of money such as legal tender status and mandatory use, has no legal status equivalent to money, and cannot be circulated or used as currency in the market.

II. No Organizations or Individuals Shall Engage in Illegal Fundraising through Coin Offering

From the date of release of this Notice, fundraising through coin offering shall be banned immediately. Any individuals or organizations that have completed fundraising through coin offering shall make arrangements to return the funds raised, and to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of the investors are protected and the risks involved are properly managed. The government departments concerned will strictly investigate and address the coin offering activities that have continued despite the ban and the illegal activities in the projects that had completed fundraising.

This is the first time the PBOC has decided to clarify in English, and I don't think there is any ambiguity - selling of tokens is illegal and what do exchanges do? Buy and sell cryptocurrency tokens.