Peer-to-peer Bitcoin (BTC) trading has surged in Venezuela after shutting banks amid a nationwide quarantine to fight the spread of coronavirus. On March 17, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro brought a country-wide quarantine to slow the spread of COVID-19. With only 33 cases of coronavirus confirmed so far, the administration hopes that the emergency measures will prevent its health system from becoming overwhelmed by a rapid increase in infections. Venezuela’s banking sector shut down indefinitely Venezuela’s national banking system has been halted “indefinitely” as part of the sudden quarantine, sparking an increase in P2P cryptocurrency trading. After a three week skid …

Amid a major economic downturn, countries in Latin America (LATAM) are increasingly suffering from money laundering through cryptocurrencies, a new report says. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) have become a major tool of organized crime groups and hackers in LATAM countries, according to a Feb. 27 report issued by threat intelligence firm IntSights. Titled “The Dark Side of Latin America,” the report claims that LATAM countries top the list of the world’s worst money laundering nations, while local crypto-related firms apparently lack Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations. To issue the report, IntSights partnered with major global blockchain …

Bitmain, the world’s largest cryptocurrency mining firm, is expanding its distribution in South America by partnering with two crypto mining consulting firms. The Chinese mining mogul will extend its global exposure with Fastblock, which will be the primary distributor in Brazil, and Bit5ive, a Miami-based firm that will be distributing Antminers to over 30 countries in Latin, Central America and the Caribbean, Bitmain announced Dec. 12. Quick take on Bitmain’s new distributors Bit5ive provides major crypto mining services — sells, hosts and supports crypto mining hardware — since its foundation in 2013. The company will be distributing Bitmain’s products using …

The global peer-to-peer Bitcoin (BTC) marketplace, Paxful, and Medellin-based blockchain company, CoinLogiq, are joining forces to bring 20 new crypto ATMs to Colombia and, later, 25 to Peru. Colombians will have access to 20 new ATMs In a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Sept. 5, Paxful announced that it is joining forces with CoinLogiq to bring 20 new ATMs to several points of interest to the main Colombian cities such as Bogota and Medellín. The partnership between the two companies will reportedly encourage people to withdraw digital currencies in the area of Medellin and other cities in Colombia and …

South American online marketplace Mercado Libre is working with Facebook on the social network’s Libra cryptocurrency project, Cointelegraph Brazil reports on June 14. A MercadoLibre executive told Cointelegraph Brazil that the purported cryptocurrency will be integrated into the e-commerce platform as a form of payment. While the anonymous executive confirmed the partnership, further details were not forthcoming. The executive stated that it was likely the company would operate as a node in Facebook’s purportedly forthcoming blockchain network. Mercado Libre is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms in South America with operations in 19 countries. According to a recent report, …

Latin America-based cryptocurrency startup Ripio has launched a trading platform, including an over the counter (OTC) desk, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on May 16. Ripio’s newly launched platform will enable its customers in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico to trade cryptocurrency to fiat, use digital banking services, and request blockchain-based loans. The product also includes an OTC desk for institutional investors. Commenting on the product roll out, Ripio’s founder and CEO Sebastian Serrano said that “cryptocurrency, and our new platform in particular, offers brand-new investment horizons for all segments of the population. This is especially important in …

Blockchain tech firm and Bitcoin (BTC) mining manufacturer Bitfury plans to launch several mining facilities in Paraguay, according to a press release published Thursday, Jan. 31. Bitfury has partnered with South Korean peer-to-peer knowledge commons research firm Commons Foundation to launch a series of transaction processing sites that will use Bitfury’s BlockBox AC mobile data centers in Paraguay. The project is part of a larger initiative from Commons, dubbed “Golden Goose,” that aims to “expand cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation in Spanish-speaking countries,” the press release reports. As per the announcement, the mining facilities in Paraguay will account for about 200,000 …

South American cryptocurrency exchange Buda.com has requested Colombian President Iván Duque to help reopen its operations in the country, local news outlet La Republica reported September 21. Digital currency exchange Buda.com — which boasts around 35,000 accounts in Colombia — ceased its operations on June 20 after the country’s banks decided to close all the exchange’s accounts "for the lack of guarantees." The move was reportedly spontaneous; banks confirmed they closed the accounts without providing further explanation. The exchange subsequently experienced technical difficulties, while a letter from a Colombian financial control officer reminded banks that they are not authorized to …

Colombian banks closed all the accounts of South American crypto exchange Buda.com, local news outlet Diario Bitcoin reported June 8, citing an email the company sent to its clients. According to the email, the move was spontaneous, the banks confirming that the accounts had been closed without providing further explanation. The crypto exchange reported soon after the news that it was experiencing technical difficulties, but would fully resume services June 13. Buda’s Colombian CEO Alejandro Beltran confirmed the situation to local industry media Cripto247. He also named the three banks that blocked Buda’s accounts: Bancolombia, BBVA and Davivienda. Cripto 247 …