MARA Holdings reveals a bold move: lending 7,377 BTC ($722M) to third parties for yield generation 🪙📈. Investors are asking questions—risk or reward?

- MARA boosts hashrate by 15%, hitting 53.2 EH/s.
- Bitcoin reserves grow to 44,893 BTC, with a portion loaned out.
- Lending program aims to cover operating costs but raises concerns over industry risks.

XRP is trading at $2.37, down 3.7% today 📉 with mixed signals pointing to both opportunities and risks in the market. Here's what to watch:

- Key support at $2.35; resistance at $2.50 remains critical.
- Oscillators show hesitation, but moving averages suggest a bullish trend.
- Long-term signals favor buyers, but caution is advised near resistance 🚨.

🌎 In this week's edition of Latam Insights:

🇸🇻 El Salvador highlights its Bitcoin experience, showcasing its innovative approach to cryptocurrency before China.

🇧🇷 Binance makes history as the first securities-enhanced crypto exchange in Brazil, paving the way for new financial products and services.

Stay tuned for more updates!

🚨 Week in Review🚨

- IRS offers temp tax relief for centralized exchange users in 2025
- $XRP breaks resistance, trades at $2.40—bulls eye $2.90!
- #Bitcoin debates quantum risks as NIST flags ECDSA deprecation.
- KEKIUS meme coin surges (and dumps) after Elon Musk’s “Kekius Maximus” name change and revert.
- Solana’s 2-year rise cements it among crypto titans!

🇺🇸 Chamath Palihapitiya, CEO of Social Capital, predicts that stablecoin adoption will soar in 2025, becoming a key tool for wholesale transactions. He noted that in 2024, stablecoin usage decoupled from crypto trading, with over 1.1 billion transactions settling $8.5 trillion—more than double Visa's volume. Palihapitiya believes this growth will challenge the duopoly of Visa and Mastercard, especially amid rising credit card rates. He also addressed regulatory concerns, emphasizing that blockchain technology provides transparency and traceability for transactions. Last year, he forecasted that 2024 would see bitcoin achieve mainstream adoption. 💰

🇨🇱 Chile is gearing up to become more bitcoin-friendly by 2025, with Deputy Gael Yeomans proposing a "bitcoin bench" in Congress to promote research and regulations. Over 20 lawmakers are involved in this initiative, aiming to position Chile as a leader in crypto adoption in Latin America. Supporters, including Andres Villagran and Satoshi Action Fund's CEO Dennis Porter, are pushing for a strategic bitcoin reserve. Meetings with the Ministry of Finance are planned for 2025 to discuss this proposal. However, the central bank has expressed concerns over Bitcoin's volatility, which may pose challenges. 🌍

Decentralized finance kicks off 2025 with a bang! 🚀 With $52.81B in just 4 days, platforms like Uniswap and Hyperliquid are leading the charge in reshaping crypto trading. 🌐

- Uniswap saw $9.48B in trading volume so far this January.
- Hyperliquid hit $10.75B with its high-performance L1 blockchain.
- Dex and perps protocols combined reached $52.81B in early 2025.
- Check out the full story at our website!

Bitcoin Gold (BTG) skyrockets 140% in 24 hours 🚀 despite facing delisting from Upbit 🔥. Is this a revival or a farewell?

- BTG trades at a premium on South Korean exchanges.
- Upbit leads with $1.31B in BTG volume.
- Once innovative, now seen as outdated in crypto.

Check out the full story on our website for more nitty-gritty details!

Decentralized finance (defi) isn’t just a buzzword 🌍—it’s a game-changer. Empowering free-market exchange, individual sovereignty, and financial transparency 🚀.

- Defi challenges monopolies, empowering direct, trustless trade.
- Transparent, immutable tech eliminates inefficiencies and coercion.
- A global financial playground driven by free-market principles.

Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin sees a $4.4M boost on Ethereum in just two weeks 🌐💸. Big players and exchanges are already diving in.

- RLUSD supply on Ethereum hits 57.6M tokens.
- $611.78M in trading volume reported in 24 hours.
- Major holders include @Bullish, Uphold, and Bitso.

Bitcoin enthusiasts are turning digital gains into timeless treasures 🎉⌚️ From dream watches to cultural milestones, BTC is redefining luxury spending.

- Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Piaget top the list of BTC-funded splurges.
- A Redditor celebrated BTC hitting $100K with a coveted Rolex Submariner.
- Luxury watches are now seen as both status symbols and alternative value stores.

A 35-year-old man in South Africa 🇿🇦 has been arrested for allegedly using cryptocurrency to fund terrorist activities! The Hawks tracked him down in Johannesburg after a lengthy investigation that began in 2018.

Philani Nkwalase from the Hawks revealed that the suspect purchased $614 in Bitcoin through @Luno, transferring funds from his bank account. 💰🔍 The Bitcoin was then moved to a wallet linked to an unnamed organization, allegedly to support participants in another country with weapons and financial aid.

On Oct. 24, law enforcement raided his home, seizing firearms that were improperly stored. Godfrey Lebeya, head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, emphasized the importance of collaboration with local and international agencies to combat the illicit flow of funds.

The suspect is set to appear in court on Jan. 6. Check out the full story on our website for all the details!

Crypto ETFs ended the week with a bang! 📈 Nearly $1B flowed into spot bitcoin funds, with Fidelity, Blackrock, and Ark Invest leading the charge. Ethereum ETFs weren’t left behind, pulling in $58M! 🔥

- $966M total inflows for crypto ETFs this week.
- Bitcoin ETFs now hold $111.46B, 5.72% of BTC’s market cap.
- Ether ETFs capture $13.03B, 3% of ETH’s market cap.

🇺🇸 President-Elect Donald Trump is advocating for tariffs as a means to support his upcoming administration's economic policies, referencing their historical success in generating wealth during the 19th century. He proposes using tariff revenues to pay off the national debt and suggests eliminating income tax in favor of tariffs. Trump has threatened to impose significant tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, raising concerns about potential trade wars. While he believes this approach could restore prosperity, critics warn that retaliatory measures from other countries could harm the U.S. economy. The debate over tariffs versus income tax continues. ⚖️

Once upon a time, 10,000 BTC bought 2 pizzas 🍕. Today, that’s nearly $1B. Bitcoin’s history is a wild ride from faucets to Teslas to honey jars 🍯.

- Early adopters spent BTC on everyday items, now worth millions.
- A Tesla bought for 91.4 BTC could now buy 87 Teslas.
- Bitcoin faucets gave away fortunes for free.

Meme Coins Add $4B to Market Cap as New Meme Index ICO Hits $1.5M @memecoin_index https://news.bitcoin.com/meme-coins-add-4b-to-market-cap-as-new-meme-index-ico-hits-1-5m/