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Argentine Cryptocurrency Founders Unite to Build Blockchain Valley in Buenos Aires

BlockChainBulletin Staff

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Argentine Cryptocurrency Founders Unite to Build Blockchain Valley in Buenos Aires

The movement wants to take advantage of President Milei’s favorable view towards cryptocurrency.

Argentina’s grassroots crypto community is working to create a “Blockchain Valley” in the nation’s capital.

The movement, called “Crecimiento,” which means growth in Spanish, has so far amassed a small following of 500 people, but the group includes the biggest names in Argentina’s crypto ecosystem: Diego Guitérrez, co-founder of Bitcoin Layer 2 RootstockElian Alvarez, general partner of Ripio Ventures, and Marcelo Cavazzoli, CEO and co-founder of one of Latin America’s leading cryptocurrency purchasing apps, Lemon cashamong many others.

Most importantly, according to Crecimiento’s core team, they have the support of advisors to the nation’s new libertarian president, Javier Milei.

“What is happening in Argentina is a unique opportunity,” he says San CristobalCo-founder of So lowan Argentine crypto education platform and member of Crecimiento.

Three worthy goals

Crecimiento wants to create a haven for cryptocurrency and tech founders in Buenos Aires with a high three-pillar vision.

The goal is to attract between 5 and 10 million people to the chain with “great products,” make Argentina’s tech startup ecosystem ten times larger, and give the nation’s startups decades-long stability through favorable regulatory frameworks.

The organization’s goal is to coordinate with Argentina’s new cryptocurrency-friendly government to provide incentives to the cryptocurrency industry, including tax breaks, financing, and a more streamlined business process.

During his presidential campaign, Javier Milei several times advertised the benefits of Bitcoin for financial freedom, although he has yet to make any official statements since taking office. Nonetheless, the Crecimiento movement said it has held several promising meetings with top representatives and key decision makers in the national government, who apparently warmed to the idea of ​​creating a crypto-friendly economic zone in the nation’s capital.

“The regulators have been very receptive,” said María Milagros Santamaría, a lawyer and Web3 consultant who is part of the core team behind Crecimiento’s Sandbox and Economic Zone working group. The authorities, however, are aiming for “concrete proposals” and not the hopeful ideas that often characterize crypto projects.

While some regulators remain skeptical about cryptocurrencies, authorities are very interested in tangible ideas, Santamaria said.

Argentina’s devastated economy

Crecimiento’s arrival in Argentina is a welcome change, considering the nation’s dismal economy.

People living below the poverty line exceed 55%, according to a recent studies, while double-digit inflation continues to plague the nation and foreign direct investment has stagnated for decades. Tax rates are between 25 and 35% and a byzantine bureaucratic system means it can take up to two months to start a business.

Importantly, currency controls, which limit access to foreign currency and prevent free trading of the Argentine Peso Rate (ARS), make it difficult to import, export, or perform any type of international transaction. Argentina’s black market rate has increased 240% to 1,200 ARS per US dollar since May 2023, which is 20% higher than the official peso rate.

But for Crecimiento, years of a crumbling economy have left a silver lining.

“Our destabilized macroeconomic situation has generated a huge amount of talent in the cryptocurrency field, which now, together with a seemingly favorable regulatory environment, is what we are trying to build on,” Cristóbal told The Defiant.

In Argentina, Web3 adoption rates vary around 2 million, or 5% of the population. Some of the most notable crypto projects are based in Argentina, including OpenZepellin and Decentralized. With wallets like Muun, everyday Argentines are accustomed to paying and saving in cryptocurrencies for everyday purchases.

The local currency’s degree of volatility, historic distrust in institutions, and a large pool of creative and development talent produce the perfect storm to make Argentina an ideal crypto hub. Unlike other attempts to foster local crypto ecosystems, where efforts have come from the top down, such as in El Salvador, Argentina, cryptocurrency adoption is already present, so the hub has a real chance to grow bottom up.

Although Milei has not explicitly made any statements in favor of cryptocurrencies, the government has taken some steps in that direction. At the end of December 2023, authorized by the Argentine authorities the use of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies to settle contractual agreements.

Argentina’s GDP of $631 billion comes primarily from the services sector. A successful cryptoeconomic zone could help diversify the country’s economy and curb it brain drain which afflicts the country after years of economic mismanagement by Peronist governments.

Private funding has arrived

Behind the scenes, helping to drive the initiative, is a private technology incubator Protocol laboratories. The company supports some of the biggest names in cryptocurrency, including Consensys, Starkware, Celestia, Unstoppable Domains, and dozens more.

James Tunningley, ecosystem architect for Protocol Labs, told The Defiant that Argentina simply has one of the best candidates – for better or worse – for this type of experiment.

He went on to explain that his company wants to support startups in their early, mid and late stages; all with different degrees of capital, depending on the stage of the startup. Much like YCombinator, the popular Silicon Valley-based tech incubator, Protocol Labs seeks to add its expertise and deploy capital across the ecosystem.

“Our approach is also very long-term,” Tunningley said. “This is not a plug-and-play, exit situation; We’re here for the long haul.”

According to Tunningley, today also marks the official start of raising capital for the movement to come to life.

“We are looking at a minimum of $2.5 million or $3 million to get this off the ground with a solid chance of success,” he told The Defiant, adding that they are using similar cryptocentric experiments like Zuzalu Citywhich created the first pop-up city in Montenegro in 2023.

Pop-up city in Buenos Aires

Crecimiento is a long-term project with a long-term vision.

But in the short term, the team is preparing to have a “pop-up” city in Buenos Aires in August. The goal is to build a temporary place where crypto builders can meet, collaborate, and take a look at what a “crypto economic zone” can look like.

“We will try a crypto city,” Cristóbal explained, “trying out ideas of financial freedom and watching the community come together.”

The pop-up cities and technology hub that Crecimiento wants to build are not something new. In various forms and in different corners of the globe, cryptocurrency enthusiasts have set out to create cryptoeconomic zones from scratch. Thrives in HondurasLa Union in El Salvador and Miami’s crypto-friendly mayor, Francis Suarez, have made bids for a digital asset future in the city.

The concept of “Crypto City” was also espoused by Vitalik Buterin in a blog post in October 2021.

Crecimiento aims to attract as many builders, enthusiasts and investors as possible to the pop-up city in August.

Subsequently, in September, the aim will be to set up funding and support structures for founders, including a two-year coworking hub for 300 people, bootcamps and accelerators.

Other cases of technology hubs around the world

These types of tech and founder-friendly spaces are being created all over the world, as is the case with Swiss tech hub Crypto Valley Zug, Dubai’s Silicon Oasis, and Malaysia’s Digital Innovation Zone, to name just a few of the many examples.

The Swiss Crypto Valley of Zug has proven to be an attractive home for several big-name projects, including digital asset neobank, Xapo, the Tezos Foundation and decentralized exchange Shapeshift. While Dubai has yet to spawn a notable cryptocurrency company, it has become a major nesting ground for large tech companies like IBM and NVIDIA, bringing with it major investment and human capital to the area.

The pieces are taking shape for a Crypto Silicon Valley along the La Plata River. It will now depend on the Argentine blockchain industry to continue pushing the movement and on the government to support its growth. If nothing else, Milei’s favorite saying, “Long live freedom, damn it,” should bode well for cryptocurrencies.

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Cryptocurrency Price August 1: Bitcoin Dips Below $65K; Solana, XRP Down Up To 8%

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Major cryptocurrencies fell in Thursday trading following the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep its key interest rate unchanged. Overnight, the U.S. Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate at 5.25-5.5% for the eighth consecutive time, as expected, while also signaling the possibility of a rate cut at its next meeting in September. The unanimous decision by the Federal Open Market Committee reflects a continued wait-and-see approach as it monitors inflation trends.

CoinSwitch Markets Desk said: “Bitcoin has fallen below $65,000 after the US Federal Reserve announced it would keep interest rates unchanged. However, with markets now anticipating rate cuts at the next Federal Reserve meeting in September, the outlook for a Bitcoin rally by the end of the year has strengthened.”

Meanwhile, CoinDCX research team said: “The crypto market has plunged after the Fed decision. Tomorrow’s US unemployment rate announcement is expected to induce more volatility, with the ‘actual’ figure coming in higher than the ‘expected’ one, which is positive for cryptocurrencies.”

At 12:21 pm IST, Bitcoin (BTC) was down 3.2% at $64,285, while Ethereum was down nearly 4.5% at $3,313. Meanwhile, the global market cryptocurrency The market capitalization fell 3.6% to around $2.3 trillion in the last 24 hours.

“Bitcoin needs to clear its 200-day EMA at $64,510 to consolidate further. Otherwise, a retest of $62,000 could be in the cards,” said Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus.

Altcoins and meme coins, such as BNB (3%), Solana (8%), XRP (5.7%), Dogecoin (5%), Cardano (4.6%), Avalanche (4.3%), Shiba Inu (3.8%), Polkadot (3.4%), and Chainlink (4%) also saw declines.

The volume of all stablecoins is now $71.64 billion, which is 92.19% of the total cryptocurrency market volume in 24 hours, according to data available on CoinMarketCap. Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 54.99%. BTC volume in the last 24 hours increased by 23.3% to $35.7 billion.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, opinions and views provided by experts are personal. They do not represent the views of the Economic Times)

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Altcoins WIF, BONK, RUNE, JUP Down 10% While Bitcoin Drops 4%

BlockChainBulletin Staff

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Altcoins WIF, BONK, RUNE and JUP drop 10% as Bitcoin recedes 4%

Altcoins dogwifhat, Bonk, THORChain, and Jupiter have suffered losses of more than 10%, while Bitcoin is down 4% in the last 24 hours.

After a period of relative calm yesterday, July 31, Bitcoin (BTC) price action has seen a drastic change as the cryptocurrency dropped by more than $3,500, bringing its value to $63,300. At the same time, altcoins mirrored this trend, with the total value of liquidated positions rising to nearly $225 million over the course of the day.

Initially, the week started on a positive note for Bitcoin, which reached its highest point since early June, hitting $70,000. However, this peak was short-lived, as it was quickly rejected, leading to a substantial decline, with Bitcoin falling below $65,500.

The cryptocurrency managed to regain some stability, trading comfortably at around $66,800. However, following a Press conference According to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, the value of Bitcoin has fallen again to $64,300, down more than 3% in 24 hours.

BTC Price Chart 24 Hours | Source: crypto.news

The recession coincided with a relationship from the New York Times stating that Iran had called for retaliatory measures against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, increasing the risk of further conflict in the region.

Meanwhile, on the economic front, the Federal Reserve decided to keep its benchmark interest rates in place, offering little information on a planned September rate cut. Powell also hinted that while no concrete decisions have been made on the September adjustment, there is growing consensus that a rate cut is likely.

Amid Bitcoin’s decline, altcoins have suffered even more significant losses. For example, dogwifhat (Wife) saw a 12.4% drop and (DISGUST) has suffered a 10% drop. Other altcoins such as THORChain (RUNE) also fell by 10%, while Jupiter (JUPITER) and the Ethereum naming service (ENS) decreased by 8% and 9% respectively.

Among the largest-cap cryptocurrencies, the biggest losers are Solana (SOL) with a decrease of 8%, (Exchange rate risk) down 6%, Cardano (ADA) down 4%, and both Ethereum (ETH) and Dogecoin (DOGE) recording a decrease of 4.4%.

Data from CoinGlass indicates that approximately 67,000 traders have been negatively impacted by this increased volatility. BTC positions have seen $61.85 million in liquidations, while ETH positions have faced $61 million. In total, the value of liquidated positions stands at $225.4 million at the time of writing.

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Riot Platforms Sees 52% Drop in Bitcoin Production in Q2

BlockChainBulletin Staff

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Riot Platforms posts 52% decrease in Bitcoin production for Q2

Bitcoin mining firm Riot Platforms has released its second-quarter financial results, highlighting a decline in cryptocurrency mined due to the recent halving.

Colorado-based Bitcoin (BTC) mining company Riot platforms revealed its second quarter financial results, highlighting a significant reduction in mined cryptocurrencies attributed to the recent halving event that took place in early April.

The company reported total revenue of $70 million for the quarter ended July 31, a decline of 8.7% compared to the same period in 2023. Riot Platforms attributed the revenue decline primarily to a $9.7 million decrease in engineering revenue, which was partially mitigated by a $6 million increase in Bitcoin extraction income.

During the quarter, the company mined 844 BTC, representing a decline of over 50% from Q2 2023, citing the halving event and increasing network difficulty as major factors behind the decline. Riot Platforms reported a net loss of $84.4 million, or $0.32 per share, missing Zacks Research forecast a loss of $0.16 per share.

Halving increases competitive pressure

The Colorado-based firm said the average cost of mining one BTC in the second quarter, including energy credits, rose to $25,327, a remarkable 341% increase from $5,734 per BTC in the same quarter of 2023. Despite this significant increase in production costs, the firm remains optimistic about maintaining competitiveness through recent deals.

For example, following the Recent acquisition Cryptocurrency firm Block Mining, Riot has increased its distributed hash rate forecast from 31 EH/s to 36 EH/s by the end of 2024, while also increasing its 2025 forecast from 40 EH/s to 56 EH/s.

Riot Platforms Hashrate Growth Projections by 2027 | Source: Riot Platforms

Commenting on the company’s financials, Riot CEO Jason Les said that despite the halving, the mining company still managed to achieve “significant operational growth and execution of our long-term strategy.”

“Despite this reduction in production available to all Bitcoin miners, Riot reported $70 million in revenue for the quarter and maintained strong gross margins in our core Bitcoin mining business.”

Jason Les

Following its Q2 financial report, Riot Platforms shares fell 1.74% to $10.19, according to Google Finance data. Meanwhile, the American miner continues to chase Canadian rival Bitfarms, recently acquiring an additional 10.2 million BITF shares, increasing its stake in Bitfarms to 15.9%.

As previously reported by crypto.news, Riot was the first announced a $950 million takeover bid for Bitfarms in late May, arguing that Bitfarms’ founders were not acting in the best interests of all shareholders. They said their proposal was rejected by Bitfarms’ board without substantive engagement.

In response, Bitfarms She said that Riot’s offer “significantly understates” its growth prospects. Bitfarms subsequently implemented a shareholder rights plan, also known as a “poison pill,” to protect its strategic review process from hostile takeover attempts.

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Aave Price Increases Following Whales Accumulation and V3.1 Launch

BlockChainBulletin Staff

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Aave price surges amid whale accumulation and V3.1 launch

Decentralized finance protocol Aave is seeing a significant spike in whale activity as the market looks to recover from the recent crash that pushed most altcoins into key support areas earlier this week.

July 31, Lookonchain shared details indicating that the whales had aggressively accumulated Aave (AAVE) over the past two days. According to the data, whales have withdrawn over 58,848 AAVE worth $6.47 million from exchanges during this period.

In one instance, whale address 0x9af4 withdrew 11,185 AAVE worth $1.23 million from Binance. Meanwhile, another address moved 21,619 AAVE worth over $2.38 million from the exchange and deposited the tokens into Aave.

These withdrawals follow a previous transfer of 26,044 AAVE from whale address 0xd7c5, amounting to over $2.83 million withdrawn from Binance.

AAVE price has surged over 7% in the past 24 hours amid buy-side pressure from these whales. The DeFi token is currently trading around $111 after jumping over 18% in the past week.

Recently, the price of AAVE increased by over 8% after Aave founder Marc Zeller announced a proposed fee change aimed at adopting a buyback program for AAVE tokens.

Aave v3.1 is available

The total value locked in the Aave protocol currently stands at around $22 billion. According to DeFiLlamaApproximately $19.9 billion is on Aave V3, while the V2 chain still holds approximately $1.9 billion in TVL and V1 approximately $14.6 million.

Aave Labs announced Previously, Aave V3.1 was made available on all networks with active Aave V3 instances.

V3.1 features improvements that are intended to improve the overall security of the DeFi protocol. The Aave DAO governance has approved the v3.1 improvements, which also include operational efficiency and usability for the network.

Meanwhile, Aave Labs recently outlined a ambitious roadmap for the projectwith a 2030 vision for Aave V4, among other developments.

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