A slew of crypto-related accounts in China's Twitter-like Weibo platform were blocked over the weekend, as Beijing stepped up a crackdown on bitcoin trading and mining.
More actions are expected, including linking illegal crypto activities in China more directly with the country's criminal law, according to analysts and a financial regulator.
Last month, China's State Council, or cabinet, vowed to crack down on bitcoin mining and trading, escalating a campaign against cryptocurrencies days after three industry bodies banned crypto-related financial and payment services.
Over the weekend, access to several of widely followed crypto-related Weibo accounts was denied, with a message saying each account "violates laws and rules."
"It's a Judgment Day for crypto KOL", wrote a Weibo bitcoin commentator, or key opinion leader (KOL), who calls herself "Woman Dr. bitcoin mini." Her main account was also blocked on Saturday.
"The government makes it clear that no Chinese version of Elon Musk can exist in the Chinese crypto market," said NYU Law School adjunct professor Winston Ma, referring to the Tesla founder and cryptocurrency enthusiast.