On February 9, Roskomnadzor restricted access to the cryptocurrency exchange aggregator BestChange.ru in Russia. Later, in a comment to Cryptol, the platform’s legal representatives stated that the Bank of Russia initiated the blocking.

The BestChange team conducted its own investigation into the situation and, on February 13, provided Cryptol with a detailed report analyzing the site’s operations and competitor activity.

According to the report, BestChange.ru was targeted by DDoS attacks last week aimed at taking the site offline. Additionally, on February 10, around 30 websites published articles that the team believes were sponsored attacks, containing false information about the platform.

“The nature of these publications suggests a possible coordinated campaign to discredit the BestChange brand. The mass posting may have been intended to create the impression that the service should be replaced by competitor alternatives. Advertising platforms continue to report requests for the publication of misleading negative materials about BestChange and attempts to promote competitor services,” the document states.

BestChange representatives emphasized that they do not intend to engage in a “reputational war” with competitors. However, the legal firm DRC, which represents BestChange, is already taking action to stop the spread of negative content and hold those responsible accountable, including through criminal charges.

“Despite the current situation, the BestChange team remains optimistic. We have decided not to postpone the previously planned rebranding process, which has already received positive feedback. Amid the surge in news coverage, our platform’s audience has grown significantly,” BestChange representatives stated.

As of now, the restriction on BestChange.ru remains unresolved, and the team continues negotiations with Roskomnadzor.

BestChange has been blocked multiple times by Roskomnadzor for allegedly spreading prohibited information about buying Bitcoin and using it for certain payments.

In December 2020, the platform was removed from Russia’s blacklist of banned websites, and in 2022, it was also unbanned in Uzbekistan.