Latam Insights: Regulators and Courts Move on Crypto in Brazil and Paraguay as Disaster Relief Hits Venezuela

Brazil Proposes Mandatory 24-Hour Hold on Large Crypto Stablecoin Transactions

The institution introduced a notice of rulemaking to implement a 24-hour hold window for remittances and cross-border payments sent using stablecoins and allow virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to complete due diligence procedures on these transactions.

The hold period, applied to stablecoin transactions of over $10,000 in value, would be used by exchanges and service providers to conduct risk analysis of the movements and verify their compatibility with the risk profile of the customer involved, among other elements.

The bank also acknowledged that the holding period would not be absolute and that funds could be released in a shorter timeframe if the intermediating VASP manages to address the risks of the specific transaction before.

“The retention is exclusively precautionary in nature and is intended for risk analysis of the respective operation, not implying the definitive unavailability of assets,” the bank stressed.

Paraguay Convicts Two Bitcoin Miners to Jail Sentences for Large-Scale Energy Theft

The Paraguayan justice system has ruled against two individuals who allegedly used stolen energy to mine bitcoin by bypassing the metering system and connecting the power grid directly to their property.

On June 19, the National Power Administration of Paraguay (ANDE) announced that it obtained a favorable decision in a legal process against two miners, after a Paraguayan tribunal found Cristian Daniel Jara Villalba and Ramon Martinez Morinigo liable for energy theft, convicting them to two years in jail.

Nonetheless, even as they were found guilty, the court suspended the execution of the sentence. Even so, the ruling was described as a milestone for the power company, which stressed that it would serve as a strong precedent given the nature of the case.

This is because one of the defendants, who held the contract with the power company at the location where the miners were discovered, failed to show that he did not know about the use of his property for these purposes, and was also affected by the ruling.

Binance Pledges $3 Million in USDT to Aid Victims of Devastating Venezuela Earthquakes

Binance Charity, the philanthropic arm of Binance, has announced an initiative to help Venezuelans residing in affected zones directly.

The organization revealed that it will distribute $3 million to users who have completed Proof of Address (POA) and Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, indicating they reside in La Guaira, Distrito Capital, Miranda, Aragua, Carabobo, Falcón, and Yaracuy, areas that were most affected by the natural disaster.

The help will be distributed as 20 USDT vouchers redeemable in Binance’s platform rewards hub. “Users will receive the funds within a maximum of 30 days from the completion date of their POA,” the exchange stressed.