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Yellow Card’s African Push: Coinbase-Backed Platform Wins South African License
20.11.2024
Coinbase backed Yellow Card, a leading African crypto platform, has secured a crypto asset service provider (CASP) license from the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa. The license allows Yellow Card, which is also licensed in Botswana, to expand its operations and cater...
Linkedin Under Scrutiny for Potential South African Privacy Violations
23.10.2024
A South African artificial intelligence association has accused Linkedin of violating local data privacy laws by using user data to train its AI models without explicit consent. The association has urged the country’s data regulator to investigate. Linkedin has however defended its practices...
South African Bank Blocks Crypto Payments, Faces Industry Backlash
21.10.2024
South African bank Capitec has blocked electronic funds transfers and real-time payments to cryptocurrency exchanges as a security measure. While Capitec acknowledges growing interest in cryptocurrencies, the bank maintains that the measure is necessary to protect clients from fraud. Some industry...
South African Fintech Firm Raises $7.5 Million to Expand Financial Inclusion
30.8.2024
Omnisient, a South African fintech startup, secured a $7.5 million Series A investment from Arise to support its mission of enhancing financial inclusion across Africa and beyond. The investment will help Omnisient expand its technology to African, European, and U.S. markets. The startup is also...
South African Crypto Asset Marketplace Initiates $1.64 Million Capital Raise
5.8.2024
The South African decentralized cross-asset marketplace Mesh.trade has facilitated a $1.64 million (ZAR30 million) capital raise for a reverse mortgage provider. The capital raise allows the provider to offer homeowners the potential for lucrative returns while they remain in their homes. Regulated...
South African Startup Neonomad to Launch Rand-Backed Stablecoin
24.7.2024
Neonomad, the South African hybrid exchange platform, is set to launch Zarcoin, a stablecoin tied to the South African Rand. This innovative stablecoin epitomizes the seamless integration of regulatory safety with decentralized efficiency. Neonomad’s platform will also facilitate multiple...
South African Exchange Luno Leverages Fireblocks’ Enterprise-Grade Digital Asset Platform
19.7.2024
South African crypto exchange Luno has announced that it is integrating its platform with Fireblock’s enterprise-grade digital asset transfer platform. Aleks Andjelopolj suggested that leveraging Fireblocks means Luno users will experience the same immediate transaction settlement enjoyed...
South African Travel Fintech Turnstay Secures Funding for Regional Expansion from DCG, DFS Lab
18.7.2024
Venture capital firms DFS Lab and Digital Currency Group (DCG) recently invested $300,000 in Turnstay, a South African travel-focused fintech startup. Turnstay aims to simplify payment procedures for international travelers by leveraging a global network of compliant companies. New Investment...
South African Regulator Investigates 30 Cases of Unlicensed Crypto Operations
3.7.2024
The Enforcement Division within South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has formed a team to investigate individuals or entities operating crypto financial services without proper licenses. Currently, 30 cases are under scrutiny. The FSCA aims to protect the public...
South African Tax Authorities Scrutinize Crypto Traders Amid Compliance Uncertainty
23.6.2024
South African crypto traders have reportedly started receiving notices from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) indicating that their tax affairs are under review. The revenue collector is gathering information from various crypto-asset exchanges to assess compliance. Traders who fail...
South African Retailer Accepting BTC Sees Significant Increase in Monthly Crypto Transactions
14.6.2024
The South African retail giant, Pick n Pay, has reported a significant increase in the value of monthly cryptocurrency payments, rising from approximately $1,350 to $54,000. The regions of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape in South Africa account for the lion’s share of Pick...
South African Police Nab Alleged Mastermind of Metaverse Ponzi Scheme
8.6.2024
Neil Leon De Waal, a key figure in the GS Partners metaverse fraud case, was reportedly arrested by South African law enforcement in late May. He was subsequently released on bail on June 3. Authorities began investigating De Waal following a complaint from one of his victims. The complainant,...
Claims Against Collapsed South African Bitcoin Investment Firm Rise to $84.5 Million
7.6.2024
Claims against Mirror Trading International (MTI) have reached over $84.5 million (ZAR1.6 billion), with more than 8,000 proven creditors as of the end of April. The MTI estate still holds around $33.7 million in its accounts. Legal action is underway in multiple countries to recover withdrawals...
Liquidators of South African BTC Scam Allocate Nearly 40% of Recovered Funds to Legal Fees and Taxes
4.6.2024
Out of the approximately $60 million (ZAR1.1 billion) that was recovered to pay back victims of the collapsed bitcoin investment platform Mirror Trading International (MTI), only $34.3 million remains. Court documents reportedly state that liquidators have used the recovered funds to pay...
South African Central Bank Opts Against Publishing CBDC Study Findings
29.5.2024
The South African Reserve Bank has reportedly decided not to unveil the findings of the initial phase of its central bank digital currency feasibility study. Instead, the central bank said it is currently focused on the second phase of the study and will release a report once it is satisfied with...
South African Prosecutors Set to Pursue Collapsed Pyramid Scheme Co-Conspirators
23.5.2024
South African prosecutors are reportedly investigating co-conspirators of Mirror Trading International and may charge them with fraud or forgery. The declaration of the scheme as unlawful may have strengthened the National Prosecuting Authority’s case against the masterminds of Mirror Trading...
South African Fintech Startup Leseka Tech Signs Deal to Buy Payments Provider for $86M
12.5.2024
Lesaka Technologies, a fintech startup based in South Africa, recently signed a deal to acquire Adumo, a payment solutions provider, for nearly $86 million. Under the terms of the agreement, Lesaka Technologies will pay Adumo $12.5 million in cash. The funds will be sourced both internally and from...
Latam Insights: South African Ponzi Scheme Boss Dies in Brazil, Argentine House Passes Crypto Tax Regularization Bill
6.5.2024
Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of Latin America’s most relevant crypto and economic news during the last week. In this issue: South African Ponzi scheme mastermind dies of a heart attack in Brazil, the Argentine House advances crypto tax regularization bill, and Buenos Aires targets...
South African BTC Ponzi Scheme Mastermind Succumbs to Heart Attack While Detained in Brazil
29.4.2024
Johann Steynberg, the mastermind behind a South African bitcoin Ponzi scheme, recently died of a heart attack while under house arrest on a farm in Brazil. According to his Brazilian wife, Steynberg left no will and had no assets that could be inventoried. South African Police Investigate...
South African Regulator Licenses 75 Institutions as Crypto Asset Service Providers
24.4.2024
South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority said on April 22 that it has approved 75 institutions to be licensed as crypto asset service providers (CASPs). The regulator said the unveiling of licensed CASPs is intended to dispel misconceptions arising from the supposedly misleading...