False story on Walmart by Reuters, Bloomberg causes crypto panic
The entrance to a Walmart store is seen in Bradford, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 20, 2020. (Reuters Photo)


A fake story carried by major news outlets like Reuters and Bloomberg claiming that the United States' largest retailer would be accepting cryptocurrency payments rocked financial markets on Monday.

The outlets reported that the Walmart chain had partnered with Litecoin, but the retail giant later denied any such move.

On the news, the price of Litecoin climbed from $175 to as high as $240 at 9:45 a.m. EDT, up 37% in just minutes, before falling back to its initial price.

Investors and Litecoin holders took their frustration to Twitter, blasting the outlets for the fake news and the sudden fluctuation of the price of the digital currency.