I hope you are having a great Friday. Thanks again for reading Barracuda.
In case you missed it, earlier this week I wrote about:
Here are some of the most important updates on bitcoin, blockchain and digital infrastructure policy in Latin America from this week:
Mexico’s Bitso has more competition. A joint-venture between Mercado Pago and Ripio is offering customers the option to buy cryptocurrencies from a minimum of 250 Mexican pesos (US$12.5).
Ualá, an Argentine Fintech with crypto services, switched out its Mexico CEO. Former Scotiabank executive Luis Madrazo will steer the company’s Mexico operations after replacing Ricardo Olmos.
Venezuela’s top crypto regulator reportedly died in a plane crash. Joselit Ramírez ran SUNACRIP and is understood to be Tareck El Aissami’s main financial operative.
A team of Venezuelan developers launched Bolicoin in the US-sanctioned nation. The problem is that when they reached out to the Central Bank of Venezuela, no one replied.
Reserve, a Venezuelan crypto exchange, is using community methods to proliferate. The US-backed crypto exchange launched in 2019 and involves COO Gabriel Jimenez, the coder who worked for Maduro on Venezuela’s petro.
Nayib Bukele tweeted evidence of more dip-buying. The Salvadoran president bought around $1.5 million in Bitcoin at a cost of around $19,000.
It appears that COWA Mining’s El Salvador solar facility will be located in northern Chalatenango state. Ambassador to the US Milena Mayorga claims an investment of $200 million from the firm to build out digital asset mining there.
Brazil’s Public Ministry launched a new division to police crypto transactions. The unit will be headed by Frederico Meinberg Ceroy.
Nubank, Brazil's largest digital bank, now allows its nearly 54 million customers the option to trade Bitcoin and Ether (ETH).
Brazilians prefer to use Bitcoin over all other cryptocurrencies, according to Coinpayments, which conducted a related study. Around 77% of Brazil’s crypto transactions are made with bitcoin.
Argentina’s tax collectors ordered the seizure of 1,129 wallets over the past five months. Argentina’s tax authority (AFIP) is evaluating ways of including Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in the tax code.
Singapore-based ByBit set up in Argentina. Gonzalo Lema is running ByBit’s operations after stints at Didi and Uber.
EVENTS: The Blockchain Summit LatAm will be held in Panama City, from July 6 to 8, and will feature more than a thousand participants from around the world in conferences, workshops and training on blockchain, bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.