EBay Inc. has written a new policy on virtual currency sales, set to go into effect for U.K. customers in early February.
"The updated policy will clarify that listings for Bitcoin and other similar virtual currencies must be listed in the Virtual Currency Category in the Classified Ad format," says Steve Heywood, a spokesman for eBay UK. EBay is issuing the update to "promote a trustworthy marketplace and ensure compliance with applicable regulations," he says.
The category dedicated to virtual currency selling will be available on Feb. 10 in the U.K., Heywood says. At least one user reported receiving
"This is a new policy, and previously we did not have a specific policy in this area, as we do not for many products," Heywood says. "This is first implemented on eBay.com and now the U.K."
Some sellers have posted listings for collectable physical silver or gold coins with the Bitcoin symbol on them, though these do not necessarily represent a transfer of funds.
However, some listings are for Casascius coins, which come with a bitcoin balance stored in a private key under a tamper-evident hologram.
On Jan. 12,
