Welcome to Latam Insights Encore, a deep dive into Latin America's most relevant economic and crypto news from the past week. This edition examines how the recently disclosed use of crypto for power imports in Bolivia opens a new era for the validity of these settlements in international commodity markets.

In the US, the SEC is considering dropping a proposed rule that would impose stricter custody requirements for investment advisers handling crypto assets.

Tech giant Microsoft has discovered a new remote access trojan (RAT) that targets crypto held in 20 cryptocurrency wallet extensions for the Google Chrome browser. Microsoft's Incident Response Team said in a March 17 blog post that it first discovered the malware StilachiRAT last November and found it can steal information such as credentials stored in the browser, digital wallet information and data stored in the clipboard.

Bitcoin, the king of crypto, just couldn't break past the $84,000 barrier early Tuesday, leaving traders on edge. Altcoins like Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Ripple (XRP), and Litecoin (LTC) followed suit, sinking into the red.

The SEC, under Mark Uyeda, has moved away from Gary Gensler's tough stance on crypto, revisiting key proposals.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore has granted Cumberland SG, the Asia division of the U.S.-based crypto trading firm Cumberland, in-principle approval for a Major Payment Institution license. The approval, which was announced on Mar.

The US SEC has agreed to end its legal dispute with the firm early this month, which was earlier charged for acting as an unregistered dealer. The post Crypto Trading Firm Cumberland Subsidiary Receives Singapore MAS' nod for MPI License appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitfinex emphasizes robust security measures for traders, releasing a detailed checklist to enhance account and fund protection against cyber threats and fraud.

Ethena Labs and Securitize's new EVM chain will use dollar-denominated assets as transaction fees to attract institutional capital.

Cayman Islands Requires VASP License for Crypto Firms by April 2025

Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange Binance (CRYPTO: BNB), advised artificial intelligence agent services to focus on utility rather than launching their own coins on Monday. What Happened: Zhao, popularly known as CZ, posted his “unpopular opinion” on AI agents and their connection to the cryptocurrency world.

Gemini has appointed Dan Chen as its new CFO, amid speculation that the crypto exchange may be preparing for a potential IPO. The post Crypto Exchange Gemini Appoints New CFO as It Prepares for Potential IPO appeared first on Cryptonews.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may backtrack on a proposal to tighten cryptocurrency custody rules, marking another shift under the acting chair's leadership, influenced by the Trump administration. The acting head of the U.S.

The U.S. is “sowing the seeds of future upheavals,” an ECB official warns, claiming its crypto policies could ignite the next global financial crisis and destabilize markets worldwide.

Russia's Central Bank has asked the Republic of Tatarstan to help it test a range of digital ruble smart contract functions. The post Russian Central Bank to Test Digital Ruble Smart Contract Functions in Tatarstan appeared first on Cryptonews.

Prominent crypto lawyer John Deaton has refuted a false claim circulating in the crypto space regarding the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The misleading report suggested that the SEC had released a clarification categorizing cryptocurrencies like XRP, ADA, and SOL for potential roles within the U.S. government.

Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange backed by billionaire twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, has appointed Dan Chen as its new Chief Financial Officer. The announcement follows Geminis recent confidential filing to go public.

Cumberland's Asia unit has moved closer to offering regulated digital asset services as Singapore solidifies its role as a regional hub.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission could change or scrap a rule proposed under the Biden administration that would tighten crypto custody standards for investment advisers, according to the agency's acting chair, Mark Uyeda.In prepared remarks to an investment industry conference in San Diego on March 17, Uyeda said the rule proposed in February 2023 had seen commenters express “significant concern” over its “broad scope.” “Given such concern, there may be significant challenges to proceeding with the original proposal.

March brought significant volatility to Bitcoin. After starting the month trading around $90,000, Bitcoin experienced a series of sharp declines, dipping below $80,000 by mid-March.

A recent survey by Data for Progress found that only about 10% of US voters want the Trump administration to increase federal funding for cryptocurrency and blockchain development.

A widely followed crypto analyst is predicting higher prices for crypto assets as he expects the Federal Reserve to end its anti-inflation monetary policies.

Spanish police officers say they have taken apart a Bitcoin (BTC)-themed crypto pyramid scam that duped victims out of around $32.6 million. The post Spanish Police ‘Dismantle $32.6M Bitcoin-themed Crypto Pyramid Scam' appeared first on Cryptonews.

The growing interest in AI agents

Crypto exchange Gemini has appointed a new finance chief as it eyes a public offering.

Crypto asset management giant CoinShares says institutional investors pulled billions of dollars out of crypto last week. In its latest Digital Asset Fund Flows Weekly Report, CoinShares says crypto products are enduring their worst run of investor outflows in a decade. “Digital asset investment products saw a 5th consecutive week of outflows, totaling US$1.

Gemini is bringing on a new CFO to its ranks as the crypto exchange is expected to take on changes under the new Trump administration.

Ben Gagnon, CEO of Bitfarms, discusses the acquisition of Stronghold Digital Mining and addresses whether the company is prioritizing AI over bitcoin mining.

Digital asset investment products have faced a historic stretch of outflows, totaling $6.4 billion over the past five weeks. Bitcoin and ether bore the brunt, while XRP stood out with continued inflows.

For years, stablecoins served as the backbone of cryptocurrency trading, providing liquidity and stability in crypto's famously volatile markets. Though some have been circulating for over a decade, stablecoins like Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) weren't embraced by the traditional financial sector, in part due to regulatory uncertainty.

The company is also delaying the filing of its annual report.

Robinhood launches a dedicated prediction markets hub, enabling U.S. retail investors to trade contracts tied to global events like economic shifts and sports tournaments via a regulated platform ensuring transparency and oversight. The post Robinhood Launches Prediction Markets Hub For US Retail Investors appeared first on Cryptonews.

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Robinhood has launched a prediction markets hub within its app via Robinhood Derivatives, the firm's futures-focused subsidiary.

The Toronto-based Bitcoin miner last year said it would acquire the U.S. firm in a deal it valued at $175 million.

The FOMC is scheduled to meet tomorrow and the day after, possibly having huge implications for crypto. The market is teetering on the edge of a bear market, and cuts to the interest rate could juice some more growth.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reconsidering its proposed rule that would extend investment advisers' custodial requirements to crypto. The agency is working with the White House's crypto task force to consider alternatives to this proposal, including withdrawing it entirely, SEC Acting Chairman Mark T.

Asset manager Hashdex has amended its S-1 regulatory filing for its cryptocurrency index exchange-traded fund (ETF) to include seven altcoins in addition to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), according to a March 14 filing. The revision proposes adding seven specific altcoins to the index ETF — Solana (SOL), XRP (XRP), Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), Avalanche (AVAX), Litecoin (LTC), and Uniswap (UNI).

DeFi tokens have decreased their dominance to 3%, while the value locked in lending protocols and DEX decreased to the levels from January 2021.

BNB Chain's PancakeSwap dominated decentralized exchange volumes, hitting $1.64 billion in 24 hours, outpacing Solana and Ethereum.

A recent study reveals that all leaders of small and medium enterprises are now aware of cryptocurrencies, and more than a third personally invest in them, despite still limited professional adoption.

The cryptocurrency industry, long at odds with U.S. regulators, is now pushing back harder than ever against the Securities and Exchange Commission after finding itself on more favorable ground under President Donald Trump's administration. What Happened: Several leading crypto executives and firms, including Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) and Ripple (CRYPTO: XRP), are seizing the opportunity to challenge the SEC's aggressive past enforcement tactics, according to Politico.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is considering rolling back a proposed rule that would impose stricter custody requirements for investment advisors handling cryptocurrencies.

On today's show, major cryptocurrencies climb to begin the week. Plus, a White House memo reveals David Sacks, President Trump's AI and crypto czar, sold more than $200 million in digital asset-related investments, while crypto exchange OKX suspends its DEX aggregator amid a security upgrade.

Malaysian authorities have sounded the alarm on a wave of cryptocurrency investment scams, particularly among professionals and senior citizens.

A senior European Central Bank (ECB) official said that President Donald Trump's aggressive push for crypto adoption could fuel financial instability and urged EU policymakers to strengthen their regulatory stance to mitigate potential fallout.

A new survey commissioned by crypto asset manager Grayscale Investments shows that deep-pocketed investors are leading the adoption of cryptocurrency in the US. In a research conducted in three waves between November 2023 and September 2024, analytics firm The Harris Poll surveyed 5,368 individuals who planned to vote in the 2024 presidential election.