Online currency Bitcoin has been dealt a blow after one of its biggest exchange companies shut down and has virtually disappeared.
Photo: AFP
Tokyo-based MtGox has removed its website and deleted its tweets, meaning none of its million customers can withdraw any money.
Reports say it shut down after about 774,000 bitcoins were lost in a theft that had gone unnoticed for years.
One bitcoin is worth nearly $700 and allows people to make transactions without involving banks, credit card issuers or any other third party.
MtGox reportedly owes hundreds of millions of dollars to clients and has prompted a sharp fall in the currency's value.
On Wednesday, its website said it has decided to close all transactions for the time being in order to protect the site and its users.
MtGox has been plagued by problems and earlier in February stopped processing external transactions, claiming there was a problem with the program that powers the currency.
