Reports Indicate USDT Is Being Used in Venezuela to Facilitate Settlements and to Avoid Sanctions

Some companies in Venezuela are using the stablecoin tether as a way of sidestepping sanctions and settling payments with foreign customers and providers. Local reports indicate that, while the most popular use case for the stablecoin involves its purchase for devaluation shielding purposes, a handful of companies are also harnessing it in this way. Companies … Read more

Infura Mistakenly Leaves Venezuelan Users Without Metamask Support

Infura, the service provider of Metamask, one of the most used smart contracts-based wallets, blocked the access of Venezuelans to the Ethereum blockchain. Reports about this happening circulated on social media, attributing it to the existence of sanctions that the infrastructure provider might have applied to Venezuela. However, Infura later stated this was the result … Read more

Government Cannot Stand in the Way of Crypto Technologies, Iran Minister Says

New technologies, including blockchain and cryptocurrency mining, have helped Iran to increase budget receipts and withstand foreign sanctions, according to the country’s minister for economy and finance. The high-ranking official believes the government can’t interfere with their development for too long. Government Official Cautions Against Impeding Crypto Development Over the past few years, Tehran has … Read more

Pavel Durov Closes UK-Based Company Telegram Messenger LLP

Russian-born entrepreneur Pavel Durov is liquidating Telegram Messenger LLP, the Britain-based company behind the popular messaging service Telegram. The same entity is registered as the messenger’s operator in the Russian Federation, where Telegram is currently banned. Also read: 5 Crypto Exchanges Have Been Licensed in Gibraltar Since Regulation Application for Voluntary Strike Off Filed in … Read more

Financial Blockades Are Bad for Humanity But Great for Bitcoin

Vloggers. Sex workers. Conservatives. Iranians. People from every strata of society, with nothing in common, save for a shared grievance. All have found themselves locked out without warning by their payment provider. Account frozen. Funds seized. Lifeline severed. And for what exactly? For the amorphous crime of failing to comply with the terms of service. … Read more

Bitcoin in Brief Tuesday: Crypto Bets, Viruses, Messages, All Because of Football

The world loves football (or soccer) and crypto companies won’t let the craze expire without tapping into it. Fans can now make predictions and place bets on a blockchain-based platform with a prize fund in cryptocurrency. Unfortunately, not only legitimate businesses, but also scammers have been trying to take advantage of the emotions surrounding the … Read more

After Telegram, Viber May Be Blocked, Russian Minister Says

Viber may be treated like Telegram if security services are not able to obtain its encryption keys, Russia’s telecom minister said. The app offers end-to-end encryption, and is the most popular messenger in several Eastern European countries. Recently, its CEO, Michael Shmilov, said the company would not be able to hand over the keys. Also … Read more

Wikileaks Calls for Global Blockade of Coinbase After Its Shop Was Blocked

Wikileaks announced that Coinbase has blocked its official Wikileaks shop without notice or explanation. The organization will all for a global blockade of the cryptocurrency exchange and payment processor “as an unfit member of the crypto community.” Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the Crypto Space Coinbase Quits Wikileaks Wikileaks announced on Friday that “Coinbase … Read more

Russia to “Tame and Test” Crypto Technologies in Crimea

A proposal to “tame” crypto technologies in Crimea has been made in Russia’s parliament this week. A local representative of the Russian Association of Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain told deputies the republic’s jurisdiction can be used to “test the new phenomenon”. RACIB has been working on a roadmap to implement the “Crypto-Crimea” plan and set up … Read more

Visa CEO: Bitcoin is Not a Payment System

Visa, the world’s largest credit card company, is widely regarded as being hostile to Bitcoin. It would seem intuitive that a traditional financial provider should look unkindly on anything that threatens its hegemony. Publicly, though, the company has had very little to say about Bitcoin, preferring to focus on matters within its own domain. In … Read more