Search
China's New Gaming Restrictions Have Already Been Circumvented
7.9.2021
New regulations aimed at players under 18 went into effect in China starting September 1. These restrictions limit young players to one hour of gaming from Friday to Sunday and include public holidays. Inevitable workarounds have already appeared. Read more
Killing Floor Boss Pleased Texas Women Losing Basic Human Rights
5.9.2021
According to a tweet posted yesterday by John Gibson, the president of Tripwire Interactive—the studio behind Maneater and Killing Floor—he is “proud” that the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a new Texas anti-abortion law to stand earlier this week.Read more
Russia’s Roskomnadzor Watchdog Blocks 6 VPN Providers
5.9.2021
Russian communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has restricted another six VPN providers. The agency says the platforms have facilitated access to information that is banned in the Russian Federation. Roskomnadzor is also whitelisting certain VPN services that operate in accordance with the law...
Bithumb to Ban Foreign Traders Failing Mobile Phone Identification
4.9.2021
South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb said it will deny access to foreigners unable to verify their identities via mobile phone. The decision comes as the trading platform moves to comply with the country’s updated regulations coming into force later this month. Korean Exchange Bithumb...
Iranian Ministry of Industries Denies Power Shortages Are Caused by Illegal Crypto Miners
2.9.2021
Iran’s Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade has rejected claims blaming illegal cryptocurrency miners for the continuing electricity shortages in the country. The department believes the state-run utility company, Tavanir, has overestimated their role in the power deficit. Illegal Miners...
Please, Free Me From The Bad Takes About China’s Gaming Restrictions
1.9.2021
Whenever any kind of news about China hits the internet, I brace myself for oversimplifications by English-language writers and commentators. But in a country with roughly 720 million gamers (roughly twice the U.S. population), the context behind the recent gaming restrictions placed on Chinese...
Iranian Tax Authority Urges Regulators to Legalize Cryptocurrency Exchanges
12.8.2021
The Iranian National Tax Administration (INTA) has put forward a proposal to tax digital asset exchanges operating in the country. The authority calls for the legalization of their activities, fearing restrictions could negatively affect tax collection. Tax Agency Wants to Obtain User Data From...
Covid-19 Restrictions and Forex Shortages Hit PriceSmart Sales
11.8.2021
Currency shortages induced by Covid-19 restrictions saw PriceSmart deciding on reducing the imports. One that led to a significant slowdown in the sales of net merchandise across Trinidad and Tobago. This is for the period ending 31st of May 2021 and constitutes the third quarter for 2021. Sherry...
Court Orders Russia’s Sberbank to Unblock Crypto Trader’s Accounts
3.8.2021
A court has ordered one of Russia’s largest banks to lift restrictions imposed on the accounts of a Russian citizen who was selling digital coins on cryptocurrency exchanges. The state-owned giant Sberbank will now have to unblock its client’s cards and restore his access to its online...
Crypto Payment Option Makes Services More Affordable: Zimbabwe Music Studio Director
29.7.2021
A Zimbabwean music production company, Mutscon Music, recently announced that its clients can now pay for services using cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum. According to the company, this decision has partly been necessitated by ongoing pandemic-related movement restrictions. Music Studio...
Nigeria’s June P2P Bitcoin Trade Volumes Surged Again Despite Central Bank’s Crypto Restrictions
12.7.2021
Nigeria’s peer-to-peer bitcoin trade volumes went up to just under $38 million in June 2021, the latest data shows. This surge becomes only the second time Nigerian P2P traded volumes have breached the $35 million mark in 2021. March 2021 is the only other period when P2P bitcoin traded...
Ontario Crackdown on Crypto Exchanges Continues With Binance Leaving the Province
27.6.2021
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance will no longer provide services in the Canadian province of Ontario. The decision comes amid ongoing regulatory pressure on digital asset trading platforms that has already affected the operations of several exchanges. Crypto Exchange Binance Exits Canada’s...
Palestinians Ponder Digital Currency as Move for Monetary Independence
26.6.2021
The Palestine Monetary Authority is exploring the possibility of issuing its own digital currency. For Palestinians, the minting of a national coin would represent a step, at least a symbolic one, towards achieving monetary independence from the State of Israel. Digital Currency to Help...
Report: Nigerian NFT Artists Thrive Despite Bubble Fears and Ongoing Central Bank Anti-Crypto Restrictions
25.6.2021
Nigerian artists are now increasing their net worth by leveraging the art world’s lucrative pivot to non-fungible tokens (NFT). According to reports, this move to NFTs is happening despite the Nigerian central bank’s renewed anti-crypto stance. NFT Bubble Concerns As a recent CNN report...
New World Bank Report: Nigeria’s Exchange Rate Policies Fueling Inflation, Affecting Food Prices
21.6.2021
Nigeria’s use of multiple exchange rates regimes may have contributed to a rise in the country’s inflation rate, the latest World Bank report has said. In addition, the report says ongoing restrictions on the use and movement of foreign exchange are “further pushing up prices...
Abkhazia Shuts Down 8 Crypto Farms Amid Ongoing Crackdown on Mining
16.6.2021
Authorities in Abkhazia, the partially recognized South Caucasus republic, have discovered and closed down eight crypto mining farms in just two weeks. Since the beginning of June, law enforcement agents have disconnected more than 300 mining devices from the grid and fined an operator. Over...
Cuba’s Central Bank Suspends US Dollar Deposits Nationwide – Officials Cite Embargo ‘Obstacles’
13.6.2021
The Republic of Cuba is suspending the use of U.S. dollars due to embargo restrictions with U.S. and foreign banks. The central bank of Cuba’s restrictions stems from the “obstacles that the U.S. embargo creates for the national bank system.” Cuba Bans USD Deposits, BCC Tells...
US-Sanctioned Actors Use Crypto in New Ways to Evade Restrictions - Report
28.5.2021
Sanctioned actors and jurisdictions worldwide are finding new ways to use cryptoassets to evade restrictions and continue their illicit activities, per a recent report by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic.
Some of the ways this is accomplished is using privacy coins, coinswap services, privacy...
Restrictions on Crypto Trading to Deprive Nation of Opportunities, Iranian Fintechs Warn
18.5.2021
Startups have spoken out against government attempts to curb the operations of crypto exchanges in Iran. Cryptocurrency trading is not illegal, Iranian fintechs insist, calling on lawmakers and regulators to develop rules that would allow the sanctioned country to continue to take advantage...
Official Remittance Inflows to Zimbabwe Surged to $1 Billion After Covid-19 Restrictions Forced Migrants to Use Formal Channels
13.5.2021
Cross border remittances into Zimbabwe surged to $1 billion in 2020, more than a 36% increase from the $636m that was recorded in 2019. This surge in remittances occurred despite the “steep decline in economic activity in host countries, which in turn made it difficult for migrants in...