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…

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…

China Warns of Global Financial Instability From US Economic Policies

China has urged the U.S. and other developed nations to assess the spillover effects of their economic and financial policies. “The economic and financial policies of the U.S. pose the biggest challenge to global financial stability,” according to the Chinese Ministry…

Chip Giant Intel Abandons Bitcoin ASIC Production

After announcing the production of bitcoin application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), Intel, the world’s largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, appears to be abandoning its blockchain chip production. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the chip manufacturer explained that Intel has “end-of-lifed the…

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…

US Lawmaker Urges Government to Guarantee All Deposits to Avoid Runs on Smaller Banks

A U.S. congressman has urged the federal government to temporarily insure every bank deposit in the country. Following the collapses of several major banks, he stressed that if the government does not do this, there will be a run on smaller…

Blockchain.com Shutters Asset Management Subsidiary Amid Crypto Winter and Industry Turmoil

According to reports and a filing that shows its name struck off the U.K. companies’ register list, Blockchain.com is sunsetting its Blockchain.com Asset Management subsidiary. A company spokesperson cited deteriorating “macroeconomic conditions” and the “crypto winter” as some of the reasons…

Binance Bans Russians From P2P Transactions With Dollars and Euros

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has introduced new restrictions for Russian users, in accordance with the latest European sanctions. The platform is restricting access to peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions in U.S. dollars and euros for traders based in the Russian Federation. Binance Prohibits US…

Binance Halting US Dollar Deposits and Withdrawals via Bank Accounts

Global crypto exchange Binance is suspending deposits and withdrawals in U.S. dollars via bank accounts starting Wednesday as more and more banking institutions try to reduce their exposure to the crypto market. “We are working hard to restart service as soon…

Philippine Authorities Rescue Alleged Victims of ‘Crypto Trafficking Ring’

Philippine authorities say that they have rescued alleged victims of a “crypto trafficking ring” who were recruited to work in a call center in Cambodia and scam people out of their cryptocurrencies. The authorities are also investigating government employees who may…