Latin Americans are turning to crypto not for speculation, but to escape inflation, transfer funds abroad, and bypass strict financial systems. Decades of economic instability have eroded trust in traditional banks, pushing people towards digital alternatives.
Major firms such as Binance and Mercado Pago are expanding services to meet this demand.
Binance Pay now integrates with Brazil’s Pix payment system, allowing seamless crypto-to-fiat transactions. Mercado Pago has applied for a digital banking licence in Argentina to offer more financial services, including crypto, within a regulated framework.
In countries like Argentina and Mexico, stablecoins support everyday transactions and remittances. Bitcoin use is growing across the region, especially where banking access is limited.
Banks are under pressure to evolve. Some, like Brazil’s BTG Pactual, are launching their own blockchain tools. As demand surges, crypto continues reshaping Latin America’s financial future.
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Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, has launched a Bitcoin-linked structured bond, marking a key move towards integrating crypto into Russia’s financial system. The bond ties investor returns to Bitcoin’s performance and the strength of the US dollar against the Russian ruble.
Although only available to qualified investors, the product is fully approved by regulators.
The investment does not involve holding Bitcoin directly. Instead, it gives exposure to price movements while keeping all transactions in rubles and within Russia’s financial infrastructure.
Sberbank is not stopping there. The bank plans to roll out a Bitcoin futures product via its SberInvestments platform, with a launch scheduled for June.
These developments follow a policy shift from the Bank of Russia, which now permits licensed firms to offer crypto-related investment options to selected investors.
Sberbank’s involvement suggests that digital assets may soon become a mainstream feature of Russia’s financial landscape.
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Australia has imposed stricter rules on crypto ATM operators to curb scams and ensure compliance with anti-money laundering laws. A $5,000 AUD limit now applies to cash deposits and withdrawals, with scam warnings required on all machines.
Operators must also step up customer verification and improve transaction monitoring. These measures follow an AUSTRAC-led investigation that revealed older Australians, particularly those aged 60 to 70, account for a large share of crypto ATM activity.
Authorities noted that some victims were tricked into handing over life savings via these machines.
AUSTRAC has already denied registration renewal to one provider, Harro’s Empires, due to ongoing misuse risks.
The agency warned that other non-compliant operators could face similar penalties. It also urged broader adoption of cash limits across exchanges to reduce financial crime exposure.
To strengthen awareness, AUSTRAC and the federal police have released educational materials to be displayed near ATMs. The move comes amid rising scam reports, with 150 confirmed cases and over $3.1 million AUD in losses reported within a year.
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Singapore’s central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), has mandated all local crypto service providers to halt digital token operations targeting overseas markets by 30 June 2025. Firms failing to comply risk fines of up to S$250,000 (£145,000) and imprisonment for up to three years.
The directive applies to any Singapore-based company, individual, or partnership offering digital token services abroad, regardless of their main business. MAS confirmed no transitional arrangements will be made.
Only firms licensed under current financial laws may continue without breaching the rules.
Licences for overseas digital token services will be rare due to strict AML and CFT concerns. Industry experts advise companies to restructure operations quickly to remove Singapore connections and reduce compliance risks.
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Panama City’s Mayor Mayer Mizrachi has floated the idea of letting cargo ships pay in Bitcoin. The proposal would allow faster passage through the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most vital trade routes.
Speaking at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, he suggested offering perks to vessels choosing Bitcoin as a payment method. The canal processes nearly 10,000 ships a year and accounts for around 5% of global maritime trade.
Mizrachi’s proposal comes as part of his broader effort to integrate Bitcoin into public infrastructure. Panama City began accepting crypto for municipal payments in April, instantly converting transactions into dollars.
The mayor is also exploring the creation of a Bitcoin reserve and has sought inspiration from El Salvador’s pro-Bitcoin policies.
The idea of crypto payments for canal fees emerges amid rising international interest in the waterway. Mizrachi, however, urged lawmakers not to rush into restrictive crypto regulation, advocating instead for a hands-off approach.
While the Bitcoin-for-passage concept remains in its early stages, Mizrachi claims crypto use in Panama is more widespread than it appears, with over $5 billion in annual transactions.
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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has revealed it holds Bitcoin in its treasury, becoming the first sports club to make such a move public. The announcement was made during the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas by Pär Helgosson, head of PSG Labs.
He called it part of a ‘new generation trend,’ reflecting the club’s efforts to align with future-facing innovations.
The club began acquiring Bitcoin last year, converting part of its fiat reserves into the digital asset. Helgosson highlighted the relevance of the decision by pointing out that 80% of PSG’s global fanbase is under the age of 34.
With over 550 million fans worldwide, the move positions PSG as a leader among sports organisations adapting to the digital economy.
Football remains the most active sport for crypto sponsorships, accounting for 43% of all crypto deals in the 2024/25 season, according to SportQuake.
The trend has seen a 64% annual increase, driven largely by European leagues and global campaigns amid political uncertainty in the US.
PSG joins a growing number of institutions adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets. Analysts credit both exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and political momentum, particularly under President Trump’s administration, for boosting corporate confidence in Bitcoin as a strategic asset.
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BitMEX has revealed it successfully stopped a phishing attempt by the Lazarus Group, a hacking network linked to North Korea. Attackers posed as a Web3 partner on LinkedIn, trying to trick a BitMEX employee into running malicious GitHub code.
BitMEX’s security team detected the threat early and linked it to infrastructure previously associated with Lazarus.
The exchange noted Lazarus uses simple phishing before more advanced hacks. A failed operational safeguard even exposed an IP address tied to North Korean operations, located in Jiaxing, China.
Experts believe the group’s hacking efforts are split among subgroups, each with different technical skill levels.
Lazarus has been blamed for a sharp rise in crypto thefts. Chainalysis reported North Korean-linked actors stole $1.34 billion in 2024, accounting for 61% of the total stolen in crypto-related crimes that year.
Social engineering remains their primary entry tactic, as seen in major incidents like the Bybit and Radiant Capital hacks.
The group continues to launch daily fraud attempts using a mix of phishing, fake job offers, and malicious files to compromise individuals and organisations across the crypto space.
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South Korea’s cryptocurrency sector is poised to grow no matter the outcome of the upcoming snap presidential election on 3 June. Both candidates have pledged to ease regulations, legalise spot crypto ETFs, and launch a won-backed stablecoin to modernise finance.
Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo from the conservative People Power Party share strong pro-crypto stances.
Lee proposes allowing the national pension fund to invest in crypto and loosening strict banking rules requiring exchanges to work with licensed banks. Both candidates also support legalising spot crypto ETFs, reflecting rare bipartisan agreement.
The push for clearer regulations is urgent, given South Korea’s highly active retail crypto market. Recent government measures impose tough rules on exchanges, including strict listing standards and potential life sentences for violations.
With more than 16 million users and trading volumes rivaling major stock indexes, South Korea’s crypto industry stands to benefit significantly from the election promises.
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Fabio Panetta, the Governor of the Bank of Italy, has emphasised that a digital euro is more effective than regulation alone. It can better address the growing risks associated with cryptocurrencies.
In his annual economic remarks, Panetta said the EU must advance the CBDC project to protect financial stability and meet growing demand for secure digital payments.
Panetta noted that the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), which came into full force in late 2024, has had minimal influence on stablecoin adoption in Europe.
Only a small number of electronic money tokens (EMTs) have been issued, with limited circulation and little interest from supervised intermediaries in Italy. Although MiCA encourages transparency, it has not stimulated significant crypto development in the region.
The governor also warned that European citizens remain exposed to risks due to inconsistent regulatory standards worldwide.
He urged stronger international cooperation, saying only a central bank-backed digital euro can ensure trust, efficiency, and security in digital payments.
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At a recent speech in Berlin, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde highlighted the potential of the euro to take on a greater international role amid growing uncertainty in the global monetary system. With the dominance of the US dollar increasingly under scrutiny and central banks turning to gold at levels unseen in decades, Lagarde outlined how a digital euro could be pivotal in shifting the balance of global finance.
Lagarde emphasised that the euro already accounts for around 20% of global foreign exchange reserves but still lags far behind the US dollar’s 58%. She argued that a more internationally accepted euro would shield Europe from exchange rate volatility, reduce borrowing costs, and help protect the EU from coercive economic measures.
One of the key steps in this direction is the ongoing development of a digital euro—an initiative the ECB is pursuing to modernise cross-border payments and reinforce the euro’s international utility. The ECB President noted that trade alone won’t be enough to elevate the euro to global reserve status.
For the euro to increase its global status, we need to build on three foundations:
Investors also need confidence in Europe’s geopolitical strength and legal institutions. She linked the US dollar’s global standing to its economy, military alliances, and legal predictability—areas where Europe must step up.
A digital euro, supported by robust capital markets and legal credibility, could become a cornerstone in this strategy. Lagarde concluded with a call for bold action.
The global economic landscape is shifting, and Europe must seize this ‘global euro moment.’ But success is not guaranteed, she warned.
For the euro to rise as a true rival to the dollar, the EU must act decisively, invest in unity, and deliver on reforms that inspire trust and stability, both politically and economically.
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