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…

Jack Dorsey-Backed Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund Supports Open Source Developers in Lawsuit With Craig Wright

Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund (BLDF) recently delivered on its promise to fund the legal costs of 11 Bitcoin developers that are the target of the self-proclaimed Bitcoin inventor Craig Wright’s lawsuit. According to Alex Morcos, the “mission [of BLDF] is to…

Netflix Star Driving Bitcoin Adoption With Porsche Flying El Salvador Flag

Scottish-Salvadoran driver Sebastian Melrose has made his debut in the Porsche Carrera Cup racing championship. The 25-year-old, who took part in a popular Netflix TV series last year, drives a Bitcoin-branded 911 that features the flag of crypto-friendly El Salvador on…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov States De-Dollarization ‘Can No Longer Be Stopped’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has spoken on the current shift to national currencies and the de-dollarization international markets are currently experiencing. In a press conference after addressing the UN Security Council on April 25, Lavrov stated this shift could not…

Saudi Arabia Strengthens Bond With China by Joining SCO Bloc as Dialogue Partner

China’s relationship with Saudi Arabia is growing as the country’s Cabinet has agreed to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The diplomatic move made by the kingdom began with a memorandum of understanding in September, and at the end of March,…

Former FTX CEO Seeks $10M Insurance Fund for Legal Defense, Request Opposed by FTX Debtors and Unsecured Creditors

Court filings reveal that the FTX co-founder is seeking access to a $10 million insurance plan to cover his attorney fees. FTX debtors and unsecured creditors have opposed Sam Bankman-Fried’s request, arguing that every dollar spent on his defense is “one…

Analysts Suspect Banking Crisis Triggered ‘Resting Bull Market’ in Gold, Silver Could Print Much Higher Gains

At the start of the week, a troy ounce of .999 fine gold was trading at $1,813 per unit. Seven days later, gold rose 9.65% against the U.S. dollar to the current spot price of $1,988 per ounce. Gold’s rise comes…

Digital Assets Worth 2 Billion Rubles Issued in Russia in Less Than a Year

Digital financial assets (DFAs) for a total exceeding $26 million have been issued in Russia in the past year. This new market has been developing since it was regulated in 2021 and the country’s monetary authority started licensing issuers in the…

Michael Burry Compares Current Banking Turmoil to Panic of 1907 — Highlights Markets Bottoming

Michael Burry, a hedge fund manager renowned for predicting the 2008 financial crisis, has drawn parallels between the current banking turmoil and the Panic of 1907. He noted that three weeks after J.P. Morgan made a stand, the panic was resolved…

Pakistan Banks to Use Blockchain Technology for KYC

Banks in Pakistan plan to launch an electronic platform for know-your-customer procedures that will be operating on a national level. The blockchain-based system will allow them to exchange the personal information of customers through what they describe as a decentralized and…