The bitcoin space is a constant battle of truth versus untruth, rumor versus fact and optimism versus pessimism. With market manipulators up to their usual tricks and salty altcoiners crying FUD, it can be hard to tell what's real and what's fake. This week truly had it all: keks, lies, and videotape beamed live from the U.S. Senate. Throw in the obligatory multi-million dollar hack, and you've got all the makings of another seismic week in bitcoin.

Also read: Japan Cracks Down on Foreign ICO Agency Operating Without License

The Rumor Mill Goes Into Overdrive

The week started with rumors that China was banning bitcoin – yes, again. Not only that but they would be cracking down on mining too and laying the banhammer in Hong Kong into the bargain. It turns out the story was actual fake news, but that didn't stop a couple of lesser publications from running with it. It was an elaborate hoax that showed much more sophistication than the average Nigerian phishing email, and was clearly an attempt at shorting the markets for monetary gain. As we reported: