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…

‘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…

Bitcoin Network Overwhelmed by 390,000 Unconfirmed Transactions and Surging Fees

In just under two weeks, the number of unconfirmed transactions on the Bitcoin network has skyrocketed from 134,000 to over 390,000, causing a bottleneck in the mempool. This surge in unconfirmed transactions has resulted in a staggering 343% increase in transaction…

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…

Lawyer Expects SEC to Lose if It Sues Coinbase Due to ‘Fatal Flaw’ of Gary Gensler’s Own Making

A lawyer has explained why the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will likely lose if the regulator takes crypto exchange Coinbase to court over alleged securities law violations. “The problem is entirely of Gary Gensler’s own making,” he stressed. Lawyer…

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…

Saudi Arabia Joining BRICS Would Accelerate Chinese Yuan’s Use as Trading Currency, Says Professor

Professor Ashok Swain of Uppsala University’s Department of Peace and Conflict Research says Saudi Arabia joining the BRICS economic bloc “would accelerate the bilateral trading being conducted using the yuan as the trading currency. ” How Saudi Arabia Joining BRICS Could Boost…

Former SEC Enforcement Chief: Coinbase’s Arguments ‘a Surefire Loser’ and Possibly Criminal

According to John Reed Stark, crypto exchange Coinbase’s assertions that its business activities were endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) when it approved its initial public offering are “a surefire loser.” According to Stark, the SEC’s approval of…