Latam Insights: Bolivia Mulls Chinese Yuan for Trade Settlements, Steve Hanke Proposes 30-Day Solution for Venezuelan Inflation

Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of the most relevant crypto and economic development news from Latin America during the last week. In this issue, Bolivia mulls using the Chinese yuan in international trade settlements, inflation reaches 108.8% in Argentina, and…

10 Southeast Asian Nations Challenge Dollar Dominance With Push for Local Currencies

The leaders of 10 Southeast Asian nations, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), have agreed to “encourage the use of local currencies for economic and financial transactions.” The group comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore,…

Nigeria-China Currency Swap: Activist Lawyer Accuses IMF and World Bank of ‘Economic Sabotage’ to Promote US Dollar, Urges Nigeria to Join BRICS

Nigerian human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana, has accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) of sabotaging the currency swap arrangement between China and Nigeria. Falana said the Nigerian central bank and the two global financial…

President Raisi Calls on Central Bank of Iran to Ditch US Dollar in Trade, Shift to National Currencies

Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi has called on the Central Bank of Iran to lay the groundwork necessary to ditch the U.S. dollar for bilateral trade settlements and to make the switch to use the Iranian real whenever possible. The Central Bank…

Crypto Exchange Bittrex Enters Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection Following SEC Lawsuit

Bittrex Inc., the U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware after being sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to register with the regulator. The exchange reportedly has over 100,000 creditors and liabilities…

Latam Insights: Bolivia Sells Gold for Dollars, Argentina Bans Fintech Crypto, Fitch Upgrades El Salvador’s Credit Rating

Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of the most relevant crypto and economic development news from Latin America during the last week. In this issue, Bolivia passes a law to sell gold for dollars, the Central Bank of Argentina bans fintech…

Digital Assets for 1 Billion Rubles Issued in Russia in a Month

Platforms authorized by the Russian government issued digital assets worth around a billion rubles in April, the local press reported. The spike in the volume has been attributed to Russian companies experimenting with new financial instruments amid limited access to traditional…

SEC Probes First Republic Bank Executives for Insider Trading; Lawmakers Dump Bank’s Shares Before Collapse

After the second largest bank failure in history, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly investigating First Republic Bank executives for allegedly engaging in insider trading. Two sources have claimed that the securities regulator is scrutinizing the bank’s executives…

Voyager Digital Provides Update on Reimbursement Plan for Creditors

Following Binance’s withdrawal from the Voyager Digital deal on April 25, the now-defunct crypto lender has recently informed creditors that they can expect to receive their initial cash and crypto distributions “within the next few weeks.” This update comes nine days…

US Banking Industry in Turmoil: A Comprehensive Look at the ‘Great Consolidation’ and Largest Bank Failures of 2023

2023 has been a rollercoaster ride for the U.S. banking industry. The collapse of three major banks has sent shockwaves through the financial world, with their combined assets surpassing the top 25 banks that crumbled in 2008. The following is a…