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Latam Insights — Venezuelan Gold Battle Continues, Argentina Seeks Yuan Funding Extension
29.5.2023
Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of Latin America’s most relevant crypto and economic development news during the last week. In this issue, Venezuela tries to regain control of the gold stash held in London again; Argentina seeks to expand the Chinese yuan swap line; and Azteco enables...
Venezuela Seeks to Regain Control of More Than $1.8 Billion in Gold After Interim Government Dissolves
25.5.2023
The government of Venezuela is seeking to regain control of more than $1.8 billion in gold deposited in the vaults of the Bank of England. Officials of Maduro’s government appealed to the London Court of Appeals that the destitution of Juan Guaido, the former interim president, could affect...
Venezuela’s President Declares Inevitable Shift Away From US Dollar in De-Dollarization Push
19.5.2023
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced that Venezuela will shift away from using U.S. dollars in trade, emphasizing that the de-dollarization process is “inevitable.” He described: “This is the path of Venezuela and the path of a free economy where currencies are not used...
Latam Insights: Bolivia Mulls Chinese Yuan for Trade Settlements, Steve Hanke Proposes 30-Day Solution for Venezuelan Inflation
15.5.2023
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 mulls using the Chinese yuan in international trade settlements, inflation reaches 108.8% in Argentina, and Steve Hanke states he...
Latam Insights — Steve Hanke Advocates Dollarization in Argentina, Bitcoin City Plans Unclear in El Salvador, Sunacrip Implicated in Venezuela Layoffs
1.5.2023
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, economist Steve Hanke calls to dollarize Argentina, Bitcoin City plans are still not formalized in El Salvador, and Venezuelan crypto watchdog...
Venezuelan Crypto Exchange CoinCoinX ‘Temporarily’ Halts Operations – What’s Going On?
19.4.2023
The Venezuelan crypto exchange CoinCoinX says that it has “temporarily stopped” operations amid reports users cannot make withdrawals on its platform.
It is a move that has reportedly left “thousands” of customers unable to access their funds.
In a tweeted statement, the exchange said that users’...
Latam Insights – Inflation Skyrockets in Argentina, El Salvador Processes Digital Assets Licenses, Venezuelan Crypto Corruption Probe Continues
17.4.2023
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: Inflation in Argentina goes over 100%, El Salvador issues its first digital assets licenses, and the crypto-linked corruption probe in Venezuela...
National Exchanges Reportedly Pause Operations in Venezuela, as Attorney General Confirms Crypto Watchdog Sunacrip Involvement in Oil Sale Schemes
28.3.2023
National cryptocurrency exchanges have paused their activities in Venezuela according to reports, as the anti-corruption probe on national crypto watchdog Sunacrip and unlawful oil sales continues in the country. Tarek William Saab, attorney general, confirmed the involvement of the institution...
Central Bank of Venezuela Lags in Delivering Economic Data, Experts Fear Upcoming Hyperinflation
22.3.2023
The Central Bank of Venezuela is lagging when it comes to delivering economic data this year, failing to publish the inflation numbers for the last four months. Venezuelan economists believe this delay might mean that the country is starting to enter a new hyperinflation period, with the government...
Head of Venezuelan Crypto Watchdog Sunacrip Arrested on Alleged Corruption Charges; Institution to Face Restructuring
21.3.2023
Joselit Ramirez, head of the Venezuelan cryptocurrency authority Sunacrip, was arrested on March 18, according to reports from local media. Ramirez, who led the institution from its creation in 2018, was arrested for being allegedly involved in corruption schemes, including the embezzlement of...
Like Venezuela, Some Retailers in Argentina Are Now Pricing Items in Dollars
8.3.2023
Some retailers in Argentina are already pricing imported items in U.S. dollars, according to reports from local news outlets. The idea behind this would be to keep prices stable and avoid repricing articles each day, a practice that has already been adopted in other Latam countries like Venezuela...
Disputed Venezuelan Gold Worth $1.8B in Bank of England Vaults Remains Uncertain After Dissolution of Interim Government
2.1.2023
The status of the Venezuelan gold currently being held by the Bank of England might fall into regulatory limbo after the dissolution of the interim government of Juan Guaido. The 31 tons of gold have been the subject of dispute between the current president Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido since...
Venezuelan Banking Watchdog to Oversee Crypto Transactions to Preserve Currency Stability
30.12.2022
Sudeban, the Venezuelan banking watchdog, is currently working on a mechanism to review crypto-related transactions in real-time to control the influence these have on the stability of the exchange market. Analysts have recently linked the situation in peer-to-peer (P2P) crypto markets to...
Venezuelan Banks Have Blocked Over 75 Accounts Since the End of Last Year Due to Cryptocurrency-Related Activities
28.12.2022
Venezuelan Banks have started eyeing the accounts of customers with ties to cryptocurrency trading, principally related to peer-to-peer (P2P) transaction activity. According to Legalrocks, a crypto and blockchain-focused legal firm in Venezuela, more than 75 accounts have been blocked by Venezuelan...
Venezuelan Currency Plunges Almost 40% Against the US Dollar, Analysts Cite Crypto Drought as Part of the Problem
27.11.2022
The Venezuelan fiat currency, the bolivar, has lost almost 40% in its exchange rate against the U.S. dollar in a month. According to reports, the seasonal payments that the government has to make, and the lack of liquidity of the government to intervene in the currency market are part of...
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Signals Support for Single Currency in Latam, Calls for Crypto Inclusion
22.11.2022
Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, has expressed his support for the adoption of a new common currency for Latam in the latest meeting of the Workgroup of the Sao Paolo Forum. Maduro stated that this would be an important step for the construction of a common economic space, that would also...
US Charges Russians, Venezuelans for Sanctions Evasion Using Cryptocurrency
20.10.2022
A group of Russian and Venezuelan nationals have been charged by U.S. authorities for their roles in a scheme to circumvent Western sanctions and launder money on a global scale. They have been accused of obtaining military technologies from American companies, smuggling oil, and disguising money...
Nicolas Maduro Tempts West With an Abundance of Oil and Gas, Venezuelan President Wants Sanctions Lifted
25.9.2022
Amid the economic rumblings across the world and the energy crisis in Europe, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has said his country is ready to step up and help with oil. Despite the fact that Venezuela has the largest supply of crude oil in the world, U.S. economic sanctions imposed in 2019...
Venezuelan Bolivar Plunges as Central Bank Stops Intervening and Public Spending Rises
26.8.2022
The exchange rate of the Venezuelan bolivar, the national fiat currency of the country, has plunged 35.51% against the U.S. dollar this week as a result of various factors, reaching 8.70 bolivars per U.S. dollar. According to economists, this will cause an increase in prices in the near future...
The Battle for the $2 Billion Venezuelan Gold Stash Continues, London Rules in Favor of Opposition Leader Guaido
31.7.2022
Her Majesty’s High Court of Justice in England has determined that the Venezuelan gold stored in the vaults of the Bank of England must be managed by officials of the Central bank of Venezuela designated by opposition leader Juan Guaido. The management of this gold stash, which is comprised...