Even though this winter continues to stress test the case for Bitcoin (BTC) advocation, some lawmakers strive to put their names on the crypto hot list among the likes of United States Senators Cynthia Lummis and Pat Toomey. State Senator Wendy Rogers, 68, introduced two bold bills in the Arizona legislature. One focuses on making BTC legal tender in the U.S. state. If passed into law, BTC will have the same status as the U.S. dollar, becoming an accepted medium of exchange for debt payment, public charges, taxes and dues in the state. The bill is not Rogers’ first attempt …

Panama's crypto bill saga has reached a new chapter, with the country's Supreme Court deciding the future of the local crypto industry. Panama's President Laurentino Cortizo sent on Jan. 26 the Bill No. 697, dubbed the "crypto bill," to the high court for review and approval, after objecting to the legislation, claiming it violated the constitution's core principles and was unenforceable. The Supreme Court must now decide whether to declare the legislation unenforceable or to approve it with modifications. According to an official statement, the government considers articles 34 and 36 of the bill unenforceable, since they violate the state's …

The Sushi DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization behind crypto exchange SushiSwap, has approved a legal restructuring on Oct. 26 that creates three new decentralized entities, aiming to provide more flexibility to its operations. The proposal, which received 100% votes in favor, will create the DAO Foundation, the Panamanian Foundation, and the Panamanian Corporation, each serving different purposes. Among other things, the DAO Foundation will be able to administer treasury, grants and on-chain governance processes, and facilitate proposals and voting. The Panamanian Foundation will administer the existing Sushi protocol (including smart contracts related to the AMM/orderbook, Kashi and staking). Finally, the …

Last week, the Celsius Network wrote its name in the alarming recent history of the crypto market failures alongside Terra (originally LUNA, now called LUNC). The American platform has unstaked $247 million worth of Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) from the Aave (AAVE) protocol and sent it to crypto exchange FTX while putting the withdrawal option for users on a stop. Immediately after that, United States securities regulators from five states — Alabama, Kentucky, New Jersey, Texas and Washington — opened an investigation into Celsius. This isn’t the first time the platform is facing suspicions from law enforcement. In September 2021, the …

Panama’s President Laurentino Cortizo has partially vetoed Bill No. 697, dubbed the “crypto bill,” saying it requires more work to better fit Panama’s financial regulations. President Cortizo previously warned in May he wouldn’t sign the bill unless it included additional Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules after Panama’s National Assembly passed the crypto bill in late April 2022. Local media outlet La Prenda obtained a copy of the 32-page veto, reporting the president wrote it’s “imperative” the cryptocurrency laws conform to new regulations recommended by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) outlining “fiscal transparency and prevention of money laundering.” President Cortizo has …

Panama’s path to crypto adoption is stepping up a gear. Towerbank, a Panamanian financial institution with over 200 employees and 40 years of banking experience, has declared itself Bitcoin-friendly, paving the way for crypto accounts. Gabriel Campa, vice president of product for Towerbank, told Cointelegraph that “We believe that as a bank, we have much to offer to this community,” asserting the group’s status as “crypto-friendly.” “We want to become part of the community and build a service platform together, to satisfy the opportunities arising from their current needs, pains, and priorities. Within the next 90 days, as we implement …

Laurentino Cortizo, the president of Panama, has said he won’t sign off on a crypto bill recently approved by the country’s National Assembly without additional Anti-Money Laundering rules. Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Latin America conference on Wednesday, Cortizo said the bill recently passed by Panama’s legislature must go through legal checks before reaching his desk, but added he needed more information before potentially signing it into law. Describing the legislation as an “innovative law” and a “good law,” the president said he approved of certain aspects of the bill but hinted at possible illicit uses of cryptocurrencies …

Lawmakers in Panama have passed a bill that will regulate cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, in the Latin American country. In a Thursday tweet, Panamanian pro-crypto congressperson Gabriel Silva said lawmakers had approved the "Panama Crypto Law" following a third debate. According to Silva, the law will “help Panama become a hub of innovation and technology in Latin America.” According to Panama’s National Assembly, the Crypto Law is aimed at regulating “the trading and use of crypto assets, the issuance of digital value, the tokenization of precious metals and other assets, payment systems and other provisions.” However, Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo must …

Panama is doing its best to keep up with El Salvador’s Bitcoinization with the installation of 50 Bitcoin (BTC) ATMs in 2022. Thanks to Santo Blockchain, 50 of the planned 300 ATMs will begin shipping to Latin America in early 2022. A vertically integrated blockchain and cryptocurrency company with offices in Saigon, Vietnam and Panama City, Santo Blockchain will invest a total of $1 million into Latin America in general next year as part of its 300 Bitcoin ATM plan. Santo Blockchain announced Panama would be the first country to benefit from its newly purchased Bitcoin ATMs, while Colombia and …

Amid Bitcoin (BTC) becoming legal tender in El Salvador, another country in Central America is progressing on its way to enable freedom to use cryptocurrencies like BTC and Ether (ETH). On Monday, the Republic of Panama introduced a bill on regulating cryptocurrencies, aiming to make the country “compatible with the blockchain, crypto assets and the internet.” Announcing the news on Twitter, Panamanian pro-crypto congressman Gabriel Silva stressed that the new legal initiative has the potential to generate thousands of jobs, create new investment sources, as well as make the government “more transparent.” According to the draft bill document shared by …

Gabriel Silva, a Panamanian congressman, is moving to follow in El Salvador’s footsteps by proposing legislation to adopt Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on a national scale. El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele announced during the Miami Bitcoin conference on June 6, that he will submit a bill to lawmakers demanding that Bitcoin be made legal tender. In a June 8 tweet, Silva emphasized the significance of Panama not being left behind by Bukele’s progressive crypto plans, which also includes removing capital gains tax on Bitcoin in El Salvador. According to a rough translation, Silva asserted: “This is important. And Panama cannot …

Ocean Builders, a company that builds “floating, off-grid seapod homes,” has bought an Australian cruise ship, renamed it “Satoshi” and plans to fill it with crypto companies, entrepreneurs and digital nomads. Ocean Builders chief operating officer Chad Elwartowski said the ship will be a hub for innovation, offering a unique space in which crypto entrepreneurs can build and network: “We look forward to creating a hub for technology and innovation here in Panama. Our goal is to figure out how to live sustainably on the sea and chart new waters in this new frontier.” The ship was built in 1991 …