Google has announced a change to its cryptocurrency advertising policy, stating that starting this October, Google will begin allowing regulated crypto exchanges in the United States and Japan to resume marketing on Google’s platform.

The original restrictions, which was announced earlier this year, were intended to protect consumers and included initial coin offerings (ICOs), wallets and trading advice, which are still not allowed.

While the cryptocurrency boom has produced both excitement and wealth, it has also spawned fraud and high-profile scams, as regulation struggles to catch up with a fast-moving space. At various points earlier this year, Google, Facebook, Twitter and Snap, all cracked down on crypto-related advertising to stop bad actors, though their initial hard-line approaches ironically prevented legitimate businesses from buying ads.

Google’s change in policy represents a dramatic break from its existing policy, which was a blanket ban on all crypto advertising through Google’s advertising portal. In addition to Google’s ban on crypto advertising through its primary search platform, Google had banned mining extensions from running through Google Chrome and crypto mining applications through Google’s Play store.

Google’s move follows Facebook’s pattern which requires preapproval of cryptocurrency advertisers by applying for certification to serve ads in each country individually.

Although Google’s original ban on crypto advertising caused a dramatic collapse in Bitcoin prices, sending BTC down roughly ten percent following the announcement, the announcement of the new policy has failed to move prices up in a similar fashion, with Bitcoin pricing down slightly alongside the rest of the crypto market.

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