Crypto News From The Spanish-Speaking World (#GotBitcoin?)

Spanish-speaking countries made headlines this week, with cryptocurrency and blockchain-related developments on both the governmental and enterprise level. Crypto News From The Spanish-Speaking World (#GotBitcoin?)

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 Congress Of The Republic Of Peru Shows Interest In Blockchain Technology

On Sept. 23, Congressman Francesco Petrozzi, president of the Science, Innovation and Technology Commission, spoke with Marco Esparza Montejo, the COO of Blockchain Life Solutions, about the potential of blockchain technology and the fourth industrial revolution applied in everyday reality.

Esparza proposed the creation of an equivalent Blockchain Supervision at the Congress that would trace bad practices, propose funds to develop initiatives, put them in value and produce associated regulatory frameworks, among other things. He also proposed introducing digital training at schools, which includes not only learning to program but also seeing how it impacts on life.

Esparza said that, together with Petrozzi, they see the chance to establish a quality certificate: “What we are looking for with the congressman is to create our own certificate of quality digital affidavit.”

Uruguay: Aeternity presents a blockchain-based system to track marijuana cultivation

On Sept. 24, decentralized application-focused blockchain Aeternity entered into an agreement with Medicinal Cannabis Uruguay to build a blockchain-based network that enables the management of the entire supply chain of the medical cannabis produced by the company.

The proposed system will consist of sensors installed along all the fields that will be connected on the Internet to record any action that is done within any particular plant.

Venezuelan Central Bank Is Considering Holding Bitcoin And Ether

Venezuela’s central bank began 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.

The state-run oil and gas company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PSDV), requested that 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 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s current regime.

Spanish Facebook Rival Taringa Is Sold To Smart Contract Dev RSK

A subsidiary of Argentinian smart contract platform RSK, IOVlabs purchased Latin America’s social media giant Taringa, gaining exposure to 30 million users.

Taringa will purportedly reward users for active participation in its communities with IOVLabs’ RIF token (RIF), a crypto token operating on the RSK Smart Bitcoin platform. At press time, RIF’s market cap amounts to over $57 million, while the token’s price is up about 0.11% over the past 24 hours, according to Coin360.

Crypto News From the Spanish-Speaking World: Oct. 14–20 in Review

The Spanish-speaking world has seen another week of major cryptocurrency and blockchain developments with the Mexican government announcing a new alliance to support the development of blockchain initiatives.

Here is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph en Español.

Mexican Government Announces An Alliance To Support Local Blockchain Development

On Oct. 14, the Federal Ministry of Economy of Mexico and the Internet Association MX announced a set of measures to improve the development of government-led projects in blockchain technology.

As part of the initiative, the ministry announced the establishment of a new blockchain alliance in order to help public officials to better understand how distributed ledger technology works and to provide advanced courses to support technology projects in the country. The alliance was established with the Internet Association MX, Canadian educational institution Blocks EDU, the Blockchain Institute of Technology and online educational portal Polimatía.

Cryptobuyer Launches Cryptocurrency Card For Venezuelan Users

Panama-based crypto company Cryptobuyer announced the launch of its own NFC physical card allowing purchases and transactions in cryptocurrency for Venezuelan users. As reported, Cryptobuyer’s new physical card can be recharged with six cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC), Litecoin (LTC), Dash (DASH), Binance Coin (BNB), stablecoin Tether (UDST) and Cryptobuyer’s native token XPT.

IBM And Ford Support A Social Projects-Focused Token By Gómez-Acebo & Pombo

On Oct. 15, international law firm Gómez-Acebo & Pombo announced the launch of its own token that will be used to fund pro bono initiatives such as supporting victims of gender violence and trafficking. Issued by local startup Blockchain Work Labs, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo and the Fernando Pombo Foundation, the Pombo token aims to encourage participation by institutions, companies and foundations in social projects coordinated by the Pombo Foundation, and provide transparency and traceability in donated funds.

A number of firms and institutions have reportedly joined the project, including global tech giant IBM, multinational automaker Ford, CEMEX, EBN Bank, Ibercaja Banking Foundation, Botín Foundation, Mutua Madrileña Foundation, Romeu Group, MACSA ID and Mutualidad de la Advocacia.

Circuit Of Barcelona-Catalunya To Apply Blockchain In Ticketing

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a motorsport race track in Montmeló, Spain, is considering applying blockchain for improving its ticketing system. As reported by Cointelegraph en Español on Oct. 15, blockchain technology will purportedly allow the management of the sport arena to create their own secondary market for ticket sales and provide their customers with the opportunity to transfer their tickets.

Visualeo Uses Blockchain To Remotely Track Property

Visualeo, a Madrid-based cloud computing platform that allows users to remotely confirm the status of a product or property, is using blockchain technology for its operations. As reported by Cointelegraph en Español on Oct. 15, the firm is implementing the Ethereum blockchain’s Ropsten testnet network to ensure that recorded digital data remains immutable and secure.

Crypto News From Brazil

Brazil saw another week of reports on alleged cryptocurrency scams as the Sao Paulo Court ordered to block the assets managed by Unick Forex, while another firm was reported of promising 400% returns through a cryptocurrency investment scheme.

Here is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph Brasil.

Unick Forex Reportedly Flees Offices But Apparently Will Resume Operations

Following a police investigation of purported investment scheme Unick Forex, staff reportedly fled the firm’s offices with computers and other hardware in tow. Cointelegraph Brasil reported on Sept. 20 that, according to the administrators of the building that housed the company, the rooms that belonged to Unick have already been handed over and are ready to be rented.

On Oct. 1, Leidimar Lopes, the president of Unick Forex, published an official statement claiming that the firm will continue to operate as normal, following a purported upgrade to the platform. The executive stressed that the firm will pay its customers through an extrajudicial agreement, promising that all clients will be able to withdraw their funds as requested.

In the statement, Lopes noted that Unick Forex is not an investment platform, but rather an educational platform for sharing content in areas such as online marketing, personal finance, financial markets and cryptocurrencies.

Unick Forex’s Assets Blocked By Court

Subsequently, the Sao Paulo Court of Justice reportedly ordered to block the assets managed by Unick Forex, granting an urgent injunction request to a client that complained about delay withdrawals from the platform. According to a court order published on Oct. 3, Unick Forex is free to appeal the decision.

Unick Forex was previously ordered to pay $28,500 to a client who filed a lawsuit against the company for a delay in platform withdrawals.

Also this week, Cointelegraph Brasil reported that the CEO of Brazilian cryptocurrency firm Grupo Bitcoin Banco (GBB) claimed 25,000 Bitcoin (BTC), worth $196 million at press time, in a 2018 filing with the Department of Federal Revenue in 2019.

As suggested by legal experts, CEO Claudio Oliveira’s personal funds could potentially be used to cover the GBB’s debt to its customers. The alleged fact of Oliveira holding over $200 million in crypto was unveiled amid GBB’s legal issues and an ongoing police investigation, as reported in late August.

New Investigation Of YouXWallet

On Sept. 30, Cointelegraph Brasil reported on another alleged crypto pyramid scheme operating in Brazil and Portugal. YouXWallet, an Estonia-based forex and crypto exchange, is reportedly accused of operating a financial pyramid promising a 400% return to investors, according to an investigation by multi-level marketing (MLM) research firm Behind MLM.

According to reports, YouXWallet is already being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil (CVM) as the firm is suspected to be involved in a financial pyramid scheme.

Updated: 10-13-2019

The Spanish-speaking world has seen major cryptocurrency and blockchain developments with central bank representatives from all around the world meeting in Argentina, Spain developing various initiatives and projects based on blockchain and the Japan-based crypto exchange Bitpoint offering its services in Guatemala.

Here is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph en Español.

Spain: The Royal Mint Chooses Pwc To Develop Blockchain Projects

Cointelegraph en Español reported on Oct. 10 that the Spanish National Mint and Doorbell factory, Real Casa de la Moneda had chosen PwC to develop various initiatives and projects based on blockchain and digital identity technologies. The agency hopes these initiatives will enable access to a set of services that allow customers to choose the information and who to share it with, with absolute certainty for all parties that the information is true. Antonio Requena at PwC said:

“This 2019 is still a year of experimentation and intersectoral collaboration in the Spanish market, mainly in banking, insurance, energy and public administrations.

However, despite the fact that our market is less mature than other international markets, during the next two to five years, the main Spanish organizations will already have important blockchain-based initiatives, fundamentally related to the transformation of business processes.”

Central bank representatives from around the world meet in Argentina
The Bank for International Settlements invited representatives of more than 20 central banks from all parts of the world to the headquarters of Argentina’s central bank to discuss topics that included regulations for FinTech, stablecoins, currency exchanges and the issuance of a digital currency backed by the central bank.

Bitpoint Lands In The Guatemalan Market

Bitpoint, a cryptocurrency exchange based in Japan, is now available to those living in Guatemala, according to an article by Cointelegraph en Español. The crypto exchange already operates in countries such as Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong and South Korea, but recently started offering its services in Latin America. In September 2019, Bitpoint executives reportedly visited Guatemala to meet with the most important banks in the country, with the objective that the banks start using cryptocurrencies and crypto assets.

Master Students In Applied Blockchain Receive Two Certifications

On Oct. 7, Cointelegraph en Español reported that Spanish students of the Master in Applied Blockchain at the Miguel de Cervantes de Valladolid European University now receive two certifications for the same course. Upon successful completion, students receive a certification from the university and also a certification from RSK, a blockchain-based smart contract platform.

AtomixDEX decentralized crypto exchange network is available for testing Charles Gonzales, CEO of Chainzilla, said that the AtomixDEX decentralized cryptocurrency exchange network is now available for download and testing. Gonzales added:

“AtomicDEX is a network that allows users to exchange cryptocurrencies in a decentralized manner. It is the first of its kind since the entire network is distributed. This includes matching and executing orders.”

The story of Brazil’s crypto scams took a new twist over the past week as CEO of an alleged pyramid scheme reportedly fled the country after rejecting court deadlines.

Here is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph Brasil.

Banco Original Sponsors A Crypto-Related Event

Brazil’s Banco Original was the principal sponsor of the Expo Boa Chance, a major fintech conference bringing together financial institutions, multilevel marketing and cryptocurrency-related firms, Cointelegraph Brasil reported on Oct. 6. Held at Expo Dom Pedro in Campinas, the event reportedly hosted more than 20,000 entrepreneurs.

According to Cointelegraph Brasil, a number of crypto-related companies at the event such as B2Ccoin and DD Corporation are not authorized by Brazil’s Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) to operate in the country. Moreover, some of the companies are alleged to be involved in financial pyramid schemes, the report notes.

Unick Forex Reimburses A Customer As Ordered By Court

On Oct. 9, purported investment scheme Unick Forex executed a court order to reimburse one of its clients. Beforehand, the company issued a public statement claiming that they would only reimburse those customers who had obtained their payment vouchers.

As previously reported, the Sao Paulo Court of Justice ordered a block on Unick Forex-managed assets last week, following a lawsuit about delay withdrawals from the platform. The court eventually ordered Unick Forex to pay $28,500 to a client who filed a complaint against the company.

Previously, Unick Forex’s president argued that the company is not an investment platform, but rather an education-focused platform.

Atlas Quantum’s CEO Flees Brazil

The CEO of Brazillian investment startup and alleged pyramid scheme Atlas Quantum has reportedly left Brazil for Netherlands, as reported on Oct. 10. According to Cointelegraph Brasil, the firm’s CEO Rodrigo Marques fled the country with his family shortly after a public hearing before the House of Representatives, dismissing the security staff that used to accompany him everywhere.

Meanwhile, Atlas Quantum’s customer service denied the news to Cointelegraph, claiming that Marques was in Sao Paulo trying to work out overdue withdrawals issues on the platform. Following an information request, the Federal Police of Brazil reportedly said that Marques is free to cross borders as there is no conviction or any court order preventing him from doing so.

As reported in mid-September, Atlas Quantum rejected court deadlines to resolve its delayed Bitcoin (BTC) withdrawals on its platform. On Sept. 17, the Federal Court of Brazil ruled that the exchange’s activities may constitute a financial pyramid and ordered to immediately freeze the company’s assets. On Oct. 2, major crypto exchange HitBTC denied allegations that it was involved in freezing Atlas Quantum’s funds, claiming that the provided evidence was forged.

Updated: 10-28-2019

Crypto News From the Spanish-Speaking World: Oct. 21–27 in Review

The Spanish-speaking world has seen major cryptocurrency and blockchain developments with a former Bolivian intelligence director claiming that Venezuela is full of secret crypto mining farms, extortionists who request Bitcoin (BTC) finding their way into Spain, and the Fintech Alliance of Latin America preparing a white paper on digital identity.

Here is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph en Español.

Former intelligence director: Venezuela is full of secret government-led mining farms

Manuel Figuera, a former director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service, said that the Venezuelan government is secretly running crypto mining farms in different regions of the country.

Figuera, who also used to be a major general in the Venezuelan army before going into exile, said Venezuela’s state crypto — the Petro — is a hoax, which is just an excuse for the government to import thousands of mining machines directly from China.

According to Figuera, the recent electricity blackouts that occurred within the country are almost certainly related to the number of mining farms that are dispersed in secret throughout Venezuela.

Sextortionists Who Charge Bitcoin Now Target Victims In Spain

A network of extortionists who demand payments in Bitcoin in exchange for not spreading false sexual videos of the victims has now found its way into Spain. This new form of sextortion has been denounced by the Spanish national police force, which has further warned people who receive these scam messages not pay or transfer the Bitcoin requested by scammers.

50 Ports In Latin America Contribute To IBM And Maersk’s Blockchain Platform

IBM told Cointelegraph en Espanol on Oct. 24 that more than 50 ports and terminals in Latin America are already contributing data to the TradeLens blockchain network of IBM and Maersk. IBM said:

“Having five of the six largest global container transport lines – representing more than half of the global vessel capacity – allows collaboration between business partners, generating more efficiency and insights throughout the global chain of commerce, thanks to the digitalization of trade flows.”

Natalia de Greiff, a VP of cloud and cognitive at IBM, said that despite a recent breakthrough in port operation efficiency in the region, it is still lagging behind other countries.

Argentine Ministry Of Security Signs Agreement With Bitex

The Ministry of Security in Argentina has signed an agreement with fintech company Bitex to establish a framework for collaborating on research activities, training, studies and projects for crime prevention and safety in cyberspace and the use of crypto assets.

The parties aim to improve understanding of the technical characteristics of crypto assets, the people and companies that use them, and the role they play in criminal activities. Pablo Lázaro, director of Cybercrime Investigations of the National Directorate of Investigations commented:

“We celebrate the agreement between the Ministry of Security and Bitex since it is another demonstration that the Public-private cooperation is necessary to combat cybercrime and to strengthen the protection of citizens and businesses that are often victims of organized crime. ”

The Fintech Alliance Of Latin America Prepares A White Paper On Digital Identity

The Fintech Alliance of Ibero-America has prepared a white paper on digital identity that analyzes how new electronic identification technologies are beginning to affect the financial sector of the region.

The white paper aims to serve as a practical guide for the development of the Ibero-American fintech community and provide information on specific characteristics of new digital identity technologies such as digital onboarding, biometric authentication and electronic signatures. The white paper states:

“Local players can find in this guide examples of financial regulators that are promoting this type of solutions in other regions of the world […] and from which an example can be taken to evaluate the specific benefit of digital identity for, among others, to avoid fraud and promote the financial inclusion of citizens.”

Cryptocurrency And Blockchain News From Brazil: Oct. 28-Nov. 3 In Review

Brazil has seen another tumultuous week in the cryptocurrency industry, as the alleged pyramid scheme Atlas Quantum upsets it customers yet again, another six individuals linked to the Unick Forest crypto scheme are arrested, and the founder of A2 Trader challenges Brazilian regulators to shut down his trading website.

Here is the past week of cryptocurrency and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph Brasil.

Atlas Quantum Upsets Customers, As It Buys Btc For $5,500 And Resells For $11,710

The alleged pyramid scheme, Atlas Quantum, a Brazilian platform that claims to conduct Bitcoin (BTC) arbitration, has angered its customers yet again. This time clients are upset over the price difference in the ‘withdrawal in reals’ operation, suggested by the company’s CEO, Rodrigo Marques, to solve the company’s problem of withdrawals.

The operation gained some popularity as several users sought to sell their BTC in order to save at least a part of their investment. However, the price difference has not pleased investors given that Marques had ensured that Atlas would not “gain anything from the system.”

Apparently, the company sold Bitcoin from disgruntled users at a massively discounted price of $5,500 but resold the same coins for $11,710, more than 50% of the value offered to the company’s blocked customers. A client from Atlas Quantum came forward, saying “it is a pure scam.”

Another Six Individuals Arrested In Case Of Alleged Crypto Scheme Unick Forex

On Oct. 26, Cointelegraph Brasil reported that a federal court ordered the detention of another six individuals suspected of participating in the activities of Unick Forex, a company that is accused of several crimes, including money laundering, and being a cryptocurrency investment scheme. When arrested, these individuals will be joining nine other arrestees, including the president of the company Leidimar Lopes. The guarantor of Unick’s investments, Fernando Marques Lusvarghi, is still at large.

Founder Of A2 Trader Challenges The CVM: “If I Have To Close The Site I Open Another One.”

In September, Cointelegraph Brasil reported that the Brazilian Securities Commission (CVM) started investigating the allegedly fraudulent activities of A2 Trader and its founder, Kleyton Alves Pinto. A2 Trader was accused of being a financial pyramid, driving Alves to recently claim that the CVM analysis is based on fake news.

Alves further stated that no government can touch the money of investors and that the sites that report complaints about A2 Trader do so because they are “paid for it.” He added that if the CVM would proceed to shut down his trading website, he would just open another one, on servers abroad.

Genbit User Goes To Court To Block The Company’s Bank Accounts

The Sao Paulo Court of Justice granted an urgent injunction to a client of crypto exchange GenBit to block the company’s bank accounts. The client claims that it initiated the process because it was unable to recover his funds.

The lawsuit stated that the exchange is now suspended by the CVM as it is not authorized to offer investments.

Alleged Pyramid Scheme Midas Trend Sponsors French Soccer Match

Even though its activities have been investigated by the Brazilian regulators, Midas Trend, which offers investment packages through Bitcoin and cryptocurrency operations, sponsored a French Premier League game at the end of October.

The alleged Bitcoin pyramid scheme sponsored the match between Lille Olympique Sporting Club Métropole and Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux. In addition to billboard advertisements at the stadium, Midas Trend also had its logo worn on the shirts of the Lille soccer players. Midas Trend president Deivanir Santos said:

“This is our first kick-off, our idea is to break even borders and overcome all challenges. I am very happy with that.”

Meanwhile, Midas Trend customers have been complaining about the company on social networks, stating that the investment platform is inaccessible and that it is not possible to talk to the company.

Updated: 11-17-2019

Crypto News From The Spanish-Speaking World: Nov. 10–16 In Review

In this week’s news from the Spanish-speaking world, a Venezuelan official claims that all currencies will be replaced by cryptocurrencies, the Argentinian chief of the Banking Association criticizes fintech and crypto, and Spain offers prepaid visa card to teenagers that they can reload with crypto.

Here is the past week of crypto and blockchain news in review, as originally reported by Cointelegraph en Español.

“Currencies Will Be Replaced By Crypto,” Says Venezuelan Official

The Deputy of the National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela, Francisco Torrealba, said in an interview on national channel Globovisión that in the future all existing currencies will be replaced by cryptocurrencies.

“The country is facing a change of time, a generational change,” he said, adding that President Nicolás Maduro is making a “great contribution” to the country by “crypto-monetizing” transactions within the Venezuelan economy. Torrealba concluded his interview by saying that “everything will be from this currency [the Petro].”

Given the Venezuelan government’s history of not delivering on promises related to the Petro, Cointelegraph advises readers to approach news on the subject with skepticism.

Argentinian Banking Association’s Chief Blasts Fintech And Cryptocurrencies

On Nov. 11, Cointelegraph en Español reported that Sergio Palazzo, the head of the Argentinian Banking Association (AB), expressed harsh criticism against fintech and cryptocurrencies.

Palazzo reportedly said that the emergence of new players in the fintech industry, which he claims have no regulations and salary costs, are “a kind of unfair practice” in relation to financial institutions that do offer employment, and have to deal with the consequential costs. He added:

“That absence of regulations even implies the lack of controls on money laundering and generates computer insecurity […] The virtual currency systems generated by big tech are a threat in that they supplant issuance, a function that the state cannot delegate. Another threat is outsourcing services to countries that offer cheap labor because of precarious worker rights.”

Mexico: Experts Agree That Blockchain Will Have A Big Impact In Education

During the INCMonterrey Entrepreneurship Festival held in Mexico, CEO of Collective Academy Patricio Bichara and Juan Freire, academic dean of the Monterrey School of Business of Technology, agreed that blockchain technology will impact the way universities deliver degrees and how people are educated.

Bichara added that, with advancements in digital accreditation via blockchain, the time when university degrees had to be validated from country to country, or from school to school, will be a thing of the past.

Spain: Bitsa Offers A Prepaid Visa Card For Teenagers That Recharges With Crypto

Bitsa Young is a new prepaid Visa card that is rechargeable with crypto and is being offered to Spanish teenagers between 14 and 17 years old.

The Bitsa prepaid card gives the teenagers a multitude of options, without being associated with a bank account. They can use the card to buy online or at any store, withdraw cash from any ATM, make transfers between cards and easily recharge it from a voucher or with cryptocurrencies.

In a statement, Bitsa said that they are offering young people a crypto-friendly account because it is clear that they have a strong interest in cryptocurrencies, “from those who are curious about the exciting universe of cryptography to the gamers who acquire tokens for their favorite video games.”

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