Spanish-speaking countries made headlines this week, with cryptocurrency and blockchain-related developments on both the governmental and enterprise level. The Congress of the Republic of Peru spoke about the potential of blockchain tech, blockchain firm Aeternity revealed the development of a network that enables the management of the supply chain of medical cannabis, Venezuela’s central bank explored the possibilities of holding crypto in its coffers, and a subsidiary of Argentinian smart contract platform RSK purchased Latin America’s social media giant Taringa. Here is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph en Español. The …

Venezuela’s central bank is exploring the possibilities of holding Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) in its coffers, according to anonymous sources who reportedly have direct insights into the matter. Can the central bank store Bitcoin and Ether? According to a Sept. 26 Bloomberg article, the central bank of Venezuela is taking a closer look at whether they have the possibility to store cryptocurrencies. The state-run oil and gas company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PSDV), had requested the central bank look into the matter after the oil producer ran into difficulties receiving payments from international clients due to U.S. sanctions against …

The Spanish-speaking world is seeing major cryptocurrency and blockchain developments with Uruguay approving a new bill that could be applied positively to initial coin offerings (ICOs), Cuba using crypto to access the global economy and Venezuela finally installing its first Bitcoin (BTC) ATM. Here is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph en Español. Argentinian Bitex stops accepting balance charges in U.S. dollars Cointelegraph en Español reported on Sept. 12, that the economic crisis in Argentina is now taking its toll on the country’s cryptocurrency operations. The Bitex firm, a blockchain financial …

According to data by Coin ATM Radar, Venezuela has finally gotten its very first Bitcoin ATM. Multiple attempts to install Bitcoin ATM Venezuela’s first crypto ATM was installed on Sept. 10, in the city of San Antonio del Táchira, according to data by Coin ATM Radar, a website that facilitates the online search for the nearest Bitcoin ATM. Latin American firm Panda BTM installed the Bitcoin ATM inside a small convenience store, called Viajes e Inversiones HC. The machine supports cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and DASH, as well as the official currency of Venezuela and Colombian …

Venezuela’s largest bank, the Bank of Venezuela (BDV), has added support for the country’s controversial Petro digital currency. Bank of Venezuela hints at crypto wallet As cryptocurrency news outlet Decrypt reported on Sept. 13, BDV clients have discovered a new section in their online banking account dedicated to cryptocurrencies. At present, the crypto wallet only caters to Petro, but as the section appears to be still under development, speculation suggests more tokens may follow. Petro, launched by the Venezuelan government, is notionally pegged to the country’s oil reserves. The United States Treasury Department believes President Nicolas Maduro wants the digital …

The Spanish-speaking world saw some major developments this week with Spain introducing a reinforced authentication system for payments, Mexico giving fines up to $47,000 for the unauthorized use of crypto and a South Korean blockchain delegation visiting Peru. Here is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph en Español. Mexico fines up to $47,000 for unauthorized use of crypto The Central Bank of Mexico will now impose fines up to $47,000 to those who are using crypto assets without its authorization. The bank believes that the use of crypto assets such as …

Bitcoin (BTC) trading has hit a giant new record yet again in Venezuela as the country’s crippling hyperinflation continues to play out. LocalBitcoins volume up 48% Data published on Sep. 2 from monitoring resource Coin Dance, which tracks trade volumes on P2P crypto exchange platforms, showed Venezuelans traded more last week than ever before. In the seven days ending Aug. 31, 114 billion sovereign bolivars (VES) changed hands on LocalBitcoins alone. That figure dwarfs the previous record set the week before at 77 billion. In Bitcoin terms, however, the uptick was far smaller, rising from 465 BTC to 533 BTC. …

The Spanish-speaking world saw a number major developments this week, with several companies accepting cryptocurrencies as a form of payment and the Venezuelan government making new claims about the use and acceptance of the controversial Petro coin. Here’s the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph en Español. Spain: Eurocoinpay introduces cryptocurrency payments On Aug. 24, Cointelegraph en Español reported that in Spain, Eurocoinpay introduced the possibility of making payments and collections with cryptocurrencies, through an application to make transactions in various shops. The firm's CEO, Herminio Fernández, reportedly said: “Eurocoinpay is a …

National Superintendent of Cryptoactives Joselit Ramírez has announced that crypto remittance platform Patria Remesa is live and functioning. Radio announcement about the platform The Bolivarian Government of Venezuela reported the news on Aug. 27. According to the report, Ramírez said that Patria Remesa was ready for use on a radio show that he hosts on Radio Nacional de Venezuela. Additionally, Ramírez highlighted his confidence in the platform’s safety, as well as how the Venezuelan cryptocurrency El Petro (PTR) allegedly hedges against economic depreciation. A brief overview of the Petro Regarding the Petro itself, Ramírez explained: "The Petro was a plan …

Cryptocurrency startup Pundi X has partnered with major Venezuelan chain Traki, who will now offer Pundi X’s blockchain-based point-of-sale devices for crypto payments. Pundi X announced the expansion in an official blog post on Aug. 20. The device, called XPOS, will allow Traki’s customers to pay with Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) — as well as a number of other cryptocurrencies and Pundi X’s native tokens. Traki’s progressive use of crypto With 49 outlets, Traki is one of Venezuela’s largest department store chains. The co-founder and CEO of Pundi X, Zac Cheah, said: “Traki has been one of the early …

In a major escalation against socialist president Nicolás Maduro, Donald Trump’s administration has frozen all Venezuelan government assets. The United States’ hawkish move has been reflected in a new all-time-high for peer-to-peer trading volume on LocalBitcoins in the country. Trump takes on the “usurper” As the Associated Press (AP) reported on August 5, the U.S. administration’s action took immediate effect this Monday, with President Trump citing Maduro’s ongoing “usurpation” of power — as well as human rights abuses by his supporters — as the grounds for the decision. Even ahead of yesterday’s strident move, Venezuela has been weathering ruinous economic …

Venezuela is reportedly choosing to use Bitcoin (BTC), not its own digital currency Petro, to circumvent United States sanctions in airports. According to a report in local news media outlet ABC on July 22, president Nicolas Maduro has authorized the use of an app which collects aeronautical taxes, and then their conversion to Bitcoin. The app, Jet Man Pay, is ironically of U.S. origin, with Venezuela converting the BTC funds via partners in countries such as China, Russia and Hungary. The funds are then deposited as fiat dollars in government-controlled bank accounts in those countries. According to ABC, the design …