One under the radar cryptocurrency-powered payment app that's been gaining traction across Latin America is Reserve. The platform acts as a convenient way for people to convert their local currencies, which may be undergoing high inflation levels, to the United States Dollar via the Reserve stablecoin (RSV). The network also features the Reserve Rights token (RSR), which is used for protocol governance. Since its launch in March 2021, the platform says it has seen 367,000 total signups. Meanwhile the number of weekly active users has surpassed 100,000, with most located in Argentina, Venezuela, and Colombia. In the past 30 days, …

Amid the ongoing growth in cryptocurrency adoption worldwide, countries like Indonesia and Chile have seen a significant influx of public interest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), according to new data. According to a Friday report by Australian blockchain education startup Coinformant, Indonesia has been leading the world in crypto interest in 2021. In Coinformant’s report, Indonesia achieved the highest crypto interest score with 5.73 out of 10, beating other counties in a combination of four factors including the number of Google searches, the number of published crypto articles, engagement level increases and crypto ownership. Chile ranked second with a score …

Latin American stablecoin issuer Anclap is expanding its Stellar-based stablecoin network by launching a new stablecoin in Peru, Cointelegraph en Español reports. Pegged to Peru’s official fiat currency, the Peruvian sol (PEN), the new stablecoin is designed to enable instant transactions across Anclap’s network, including conversions to other fiat currencies as well as “any other digital asset,” the firm announced Saturday. Called the “digital sol,” the stablecoin is said to be 100% backed by local fiat currency and is available on the Stellar network to be integrated into any platform. According to the announcement, the digital sol is already available …

Argentina President Alberto Fernandez has indicated support for digital assets, asserting there is no reason to push back against the emerging asset class. During an interview with a local media outlet, Caja Negra, on Thursday, Fernandez responded to a question about whether he would consider exploring a central bank digital currency (CBDC), or even recognize Bitcoin as legal tender as El Salvador did earlier this year. “I don’t want to go too far out on a limb [...] but there is no reason to say ‘no’,” Fernando stated, adding: “They say the advantage is that the inflationary effect is largely …

Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi, regarded as one of the game’s greatest players of all time, has reportedly made crypto fan tokens a part of the payment deal in his financial package with French club Paris Saint-Germain. The information comes from sources close to the matter, according to Reuters. Messi, 34, who had been at FC Barcelona since he was 13, this week signed a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), with an option to extend for a third year. His departure from Barcelona, with which he won four Champions League titles, was sealed after Spanish La Liga’s financial fair …

Argentina’s top pro-soccer league is getting a rebrand after it secured a new sponsorship deal with Chiliz, the creators of fan tokens and the Socios.com blockchain rewards app. According to a July 15 announcement from Socios, the partnership with the Argentina Football Association (AFA) will see the Primera Division renamed as Torneo Socios.com for the 2021/2022 season, with Torneo meaning “tournament” Spanish. A league of our own. We are incredibly proud to announce that for the 2021/22 season, Argentina's Primera División will be renamed Torneo https://t.co/2FROhT4RnG.@LigaAFA ⚡️ $CHZ pic.twitter.com/oLutukdtI3 — Socios.com (@socios) July 15, 2021 Torneo Socios.com was founded in …

A member of the lower house of the Argentine National Congress has introduced legislation that would allow certain workers in the country to receive some or all of their salary in crypto. In a Tuesday tweet, Argentine Chamber of Deputies member José Luis Ramón said his proposed crypto bill would apply to anyone working as an “exporter of services” and those who depend on an employer for income. Should the legislation pass, it would allow such workers the choice of receiving a full or partial salary in crypto or Argentine pesos. “The idea is that [workers] can strengthen their autonomy …

While the broader crypto market suffers through a painful slump, a new report on Monday indicates that Bitcoin (BTC) miners in Argentina are thriving as they take advantage of convoluted energy policies. A report from Bloomberg that was republished in the Buenos Aires Times says that residential mining is picking up due to a mix of factors, including currency controls, energy subsidies and rampant inflation. The favorable mix of conditions has even brought international attention, as Canadian mining company Bitfarms Ltd. looks to set up what will reportedly be the largest mining operation in South America — part of a …

It’s all about the economy, cryptocurrencies, art and future projections. To talk about all this, Cointelegraph en Español reached out to artist Alberto Echegaray, the director of Trustlink and former representative of Argentina in the Financial Action Task Force. Cointelegraph: Let’s start off by talking about your artwork, the Moneyball. Alberto Echegaray: Moneyball began developing in 2012. It is a piece that touches on something that is taboo in art: money. And it is still taboo, although it is something that is changing now with NFTs. What Moneyball wants to show is how most, or basically all, fiat currencies have …

A tax authority in Argentina is reportedly looking to scrutinize operations involving cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC). Argentina’s Federal Administration of Public Income, or AFIP, has ordered domestic crypto exchanges and payment firms to provide monthly reports of all kinds of operations by users on their platforms, local news agency Buenos Aires Económico reports Tuesday. In a notice to local crypto firms, the authority asked virtual currency service providers to maintain regular lists of all user accounts and identity verifications of clients, as well as their income, expenses, and monthly balance. The AFIP reportedly cited an information regime form 8126 comprising …

Mexican cryptocurrency exchange Bitso has concluded a $250 million Series C capital raise, putting it in the upper echelons of Latin America’s fintech industry. The latest investment round gives Bitso a total value of $2.2 billion, making it the first Latin American cryptocurrency exchange to be worth over $1 billion. It’s also the third-most valuable fintech company on the continent. The raise was led by Tiger Global and Coatue, with additional contributions from Valor Capital Group, Bond and Paradigm. Daniel Vogel, Bitso’s co-founder and CEO, said it took the exchange six years to get its first million customers and less …

On April 28, MercadoLibre (MELI), the largest Latin American online marketplace, launched a real estate section dedicated to cryptocurrencies. Although the company does not settle property transactions directly, it legitimizes the category as a payment system. The $81 billion retailer is the second largest company in South America and is present in 18 countries, including its three largest markets, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. The group also owns Mercado Pago, a digital payments system for online and offline transactions, along with Mercado Envios, a logistics platform that provides fulfillment, warehousing, and shipping services. The current offers include houses, condos, vacant lots, …