Argentina’s Central Bank Intervenes to Prevent Banks from Launching New Crypto Offerings

Argentina’s central bank (BCRA) has stopped financial institutions allowing crypto trading just days after two of the country’s largest banks said they were considering it. The BCRA announced the action on May 5 to reduce the risks that crypto poses to users and “the financial system as a whole,” citing crypto’s high volatility, usage in money laundering, and lack of regulatory safeguards. The news comes after two of the country’s central banks, Banco Galicia and Brubank, said on Monday that their clients would be able to buy Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), USD Coin (USDC), and Ripple (XRP). Argentina’s central bank steps in to block new crypto offerings from banks https://t.co/hxWomqla2k — News Caboodle (@newscaboodle) May 6, 2022 A poll performed by Banco Galicia determined that 60 percent of respondents requested easier access to digital currencies, prompting the decision to introduce crypto trading. The central bank has long been skeptical about cryptocurrency, issuing a public warning about the risks in May of last year, citing concerns about volatility and money laundering even though the bank claimed there were no indicators of “substantial levels of adoption and use.” According to research from Statista, 21% of respondents in Argentina owned or used cryptocurrency in 2021, making it the world’s sixth-highest rate of adoption and the highest in the Americas. According to INDEC, Argentina’s statistics department, inflatio...