Regardless of a bogus press launch claiming in any other case, Walmart is not accepting litecoin for funds anytime quickly. The pretend launch brought about the worth of the cryptocurrency to briefly shoot up by 20 p.c earlier than it tumbled again down.
The press launch went out on newswire distribution community GlobeNewswire, which later pulled the phony announcement and issued a discover to ignore it. A Walmart spokesperson informed CNBC the press launch was pretend and that the corporate requested GlobeNewswire the way it was distributed within the first place.
Walmart did not put up the announcement by itself web site and the press launch listed an e-mail tackle with a web site that does not work. Engadget has contacted Walmart for remark.
“This has by no means occurred earlier than and we’ve got already put in place enhanced authentication steps to forestall this remoted incident from occurring sooner or later,” a GlobeNewswire spokesperson informed Engadget. “We are going to work with the suitable authorities to request — and facilitate — a full investigation, together with into any felony exercise related to this matter.”
If the one who despatched the pretend press launch had a cryptocurrency pockets bulging with litecoin, they might have made an absolute killing. There isn’t any doubt it was a artistic solution to inflate the worth of a cryptocurrency, however maybe it wasn’t the neatest concept. It might draw an investigation from the Securities and Trade Fee.
Replace 9/14 10:10AM ET: Added GlobeNewswire’s assertion.
