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Argentina Halts Banks From Providing Crypto Offerings

Quick take:

  • It has been just four days since Argentina’s banks have begun offering crypto trading. 
  • The central bank seems to have put a barricade for the offerings now.

Only four days after two of Argentina's largest banks opened their doors to crypto trading, the central bank intervened to prevent the offers.

Argentina's central bank (BCRA) has placed a stop to financial institutions allowing crypto trading, just days after two of the country's major banks said they were considering it.

The BCRA announced the action on Thursday in order to reduce the dangers that crypto poses to consumers and "to the financial system as a whole", citing crypto's high volatility, usage in money laundering, and lack of regulatory protections.

Argentina’s banks recently opened up crypto trading

The news came after two of the country's largest banks, Banco Galicia and Brubank, announced on Monday that customers would be able to buy Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), USD Coin (USDC), and Ripple (XRP).

A poll conducted by Banco Galicia determined that 60 percent of respondents wanted more accessible access to digital currencies, prompting the decision to open crypto trading.

The central bank has long been skeptical about cryptocurrency. A public warning issued in May of 2021 covered the risks of cryptocurrencies,  citing worries about volatility and money laundering despite the fact that the bank said there were no indicators of "substantial levels of adoption and use."

According to research from Statista, in 2021, 21% of respondents in Argentina owned or used cryptocurrency, making it the world's sixth-highest rate of adoption and the highest in the Americas.

According to INDEC, Argentina's statistics department, inflation increased by 6.7 percent in March, the highest rate in 20 years, at 55.1 percent year over year. To combat rising inflation, some Argentinians have resorted to cryptocurrency. To combat inflation, one rural village started mining bitcoin in April.

The shift in focus from last May might be linked to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) $44 billion extended loan plan, which included a condition requiring Argentina to "discourage the usage of cryptocurrencies."

The information provided on DecentReviews does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other sort of advice. Do not treat any of the websites content as such. DecentReviews does not recommend that any cryptocurrency or blockchain asset should be bought, sold, or held by you. Conduct your own due diligence and consult your financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

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