A ‘Tremendous Variety of Possible Transaction Types’ — A Look at the Conversation Between Nakamoto and Andresen

The Bitcoin mempool, otherwise known as the network’s transaction backlog, is still clogged with over 390,000 transactions waiting to be processed by miners. To clear the mempool, more than 190 blocks need to be mined. As the scaling issues continue to…

Iran Shuts Down Over 8,000 Illegal Crypto Mining Farms in 3 Years

Authorities in Iran have closed down more than 8,000 underground facilities for cryptocurrency mining in the past three years, local media reported. Despite the government’s crackdown, illegal crypto mining continues to account for a serious amount of energy consumption, official figures…

‘Landmark’ Crypto Law Proposed in New York to Establish ‘Strongest and Most Comprehensive’ Crypto Regulations in US

New York State Attorney General Letitia James has proposed “landmark” crypto legislation that claims to be “the strongest and most comprehensive set of regulations on cryptocurrency” in the United States. “Rampant fraud and dysfunction have become the hallmarks of cryptocurrency and…

Japan’s Inflation Surges to 3.5% as New BOJ Governor Takes the Helm

This week, the Statistics Bureau of Japan unveiled the latest core consumer price index (CPI) report for the country, revealing a surge to 3.5%. This figure comes as a surprise to analysts who had predicted a more modest 2.9% for the…

Brazil Bans Telegram Temporarily Due to Alleged Lack of Collaboration in Fight Against School Violence

A federal judge in Brazil has ordered the temporary suspension of Telegram in the country and established hefty fines due to the supposed lack of collaboration of the company in a national crusade against school violence. Telegram failed to deliver information…

Russia to Increase Reliance on National Currencies in Energy Trade, Vows to Move Away From the US Dollar

Russia will increase its reliance on national currencies to settle payments for its energy resources, moving away from the US dollar, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. Novak noted there is a great interest in acquiring Russian energy resources,…

ECB President Lagarde Warns of ‘Major Disaster’ If US Defaults on Debt Obligations

There is a lot of discussion lately about the U.S. government’s debt ceiling and whether Congress will act before defaulting. In a recent interview, Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), said she is confident the U.S. can…

Economist and Political Scientist Refute Claims of US Dollar’s Demise Despite Trend of De-Dollarization News

This year, there has been a flurry of news reports and opinion editorials discussing an alleged de-dollarization trend amid a wave of disclosures associated with the BRICS bloc. In a recent article, the American political scientist and author Ian Bremmer insisted…

Latam Insights — Alliance Against Inflation, BTG Pactual Launches Stablecoin, and Argentina Debuts New Dollar

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: Latin American nations ink an agreement to reduce inflation, Brazil-based BTG Pactual launches its own dollar-pegged…

Saudi Arabia and OPEC Reveal Surprise Oil Production Cut; White House Insists Cuts Aren’t Advisable Right Now

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia and several major oil producers announced their plan to cut oil production by 1.15 million barrels per day, starting in May and continuing until the end of 2023. According to the Saudi Energy Ministry, the move was…