ChainCatcher news, the smart contract wallet Argent has launched a Telegram Accelerator Program aimed at connecting Telegram users to Ethereum and Starknet. The application channel is currently open and will close on November 1st.The program aims to launch the next generation of mini-programs and will run for seven weeks, with all applications utilizing the Argent Telegram Wallet SDK and Starknet's L2 scaling solution. The official will fund up to 20 high-quality teams, with each team receiving $25,000 in initial funding, and subsequent funding of up to $1 million.

ChainCatcher news, according to CryptoNews, up to 20,000 people in San Pedro, Argentina have been caught up in a fraudulent crypto project related to USDT, which was promoted by some unknown actors.Lawyers state that the platform's operators promised to double investors' funds within six weeks and offered some investors daily returns of 1% to 2% in USD. Currently, at least 50 victims are preparing to file a lawsuit against a company named Knight Consortium. This company operates a crypto platform called "RainbowEx," but it is not registered or legally supported.Among the victims are some retirees, and some investors have been unable to withdraw their funds for three weeks, causing widespread panic.

ChainCatcher news, KIP Protocol has become a sponsor of the 2024 Argentina Technology Forum. Co-founder and CEO Julian Peh will meet with Argentine President Milei and serve as a keynote speaker; co-founder and Chief AI Strategist Dr. Jennifer will also participate in a high-profile panel discussion with other industry leaders on the topic "AI and applications of AI-for education, institutions, and governments."Taking this opportunity, KIP is expanding its influence into the vast Argentine and South American markets. The Argentine government's friendly policies towards cryptocurrency provide an ideal environment for KIP to accelerate its layout: KIP plans to leverage its strong funding and leading technology to promote the practical application of decentralized AI, providing efficient and secure AI + Web3 solutions for millions of users in Argentina. KIP's market strategy perfectly aligns with the rapid development of Argentina's digital economy, and its future development prospects are highly anticipated.The Argentina Technology Forum is the most important and cutting-edge technology forum in Argentina, attracting participation from top global companies and cryptocurrency platforms, with sponsors including industry giants such as Binance, OKX, Bybit, and Render Network. Argentina, as one of the world's most important cryptocurrency markets, has over 10 million cryptocurrency asset accounts, with a market size comparable to traditional capital markets, showing tremendous potential. Since taking office at the end of 2023, current Argentine President Javier Milei has maintained a positive attitude towards cryptocurrency. KIP's appearance at this forum showcases its forward-looking layout in the global cryptocurrency and decentralized AI fields.

ChainCatcher news, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele met with Argentine Vice President Victoria Villarruel during his official visit to Argentina to discuss cryptocurrency and El Salvador's experience with Bitcoin.Argentine senators and government officials are very interested in Bitcoin. During his official visit to Argentina, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele held meetings with a group of national senators and the Argentine Vice President to discuss the topic of cryptocurrency.Although the discussions were private, a video prior to the meeting showed Argentine Vice President Victoria Villarruel asking about El Salvador's experience in the Bitcoin field, as El Salvador has adopted Bitcoin as legal tender for several years.Villarruel stated, "I personally want to take a few minutes to talk to you about Bitcoin, which is something I am very interested in."Additionally, Villarruel expressed interest in the so-called volcano bonds, which have been on hold for several years. Bukele proposed these bonds as part of the financing plan for Bitcoin City, a Bitcoin-centric metropolis announced for construction in 2021, but has yet to be built.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Binance has announced that it has completed the registration as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Argentina, and its mobile app and website are now fully open to users in Argentina. Binance stated that this is its 20th registration with global regulators, having previously completed registrations in Kazakhstan, India, and Indonesia.Guilherme Nazar, Head of Binance Latin America, stated that Argentina is an important market for Binance, and the company supports forward-looking regulation while continuing to collaborate with local governments to promote the sustainable development of the crypto industry.

ChainCatcher news, Argentine tax officials and naval security personnel conducted a joint operation to dismantle a large smuggling ring of Bitcoin mining equipment. In this "major operation," the Argentine Naval Prefecture (PNA) and the Federal Administration of Public Revenue (AFIP) carried out multiple raids, seizing hundreds of high-end mobile phones, graphics cards, and mining components.Officials revealed that the gang used "crypto investments" for money laundering and smuggled in cities such as Mar del Plata and Bahía Blanca. The operation seized over 30 million pesos (approximately 31,000 USD) and 19,000 USD in cash, with four suspects arrested and facing charges related to smuggling and money laundering.

ChainCatcher news, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson will meet with Argentine President Javier Milei to discuss the cryptocurrency economy. Charles Hoskinson will travel to the Argentine Technology Forum to engage in dialogue with the president on October 19, discussing the future of blockchain.Charles Hoskinson hopes to discuss the potential of blockchain to change the global economy, political, and social systems. He will also raise questions such as Argentina's values and needs in the technological context, whether the country has chosen the path of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), and what kind of partners it has to rebuild its economy.

ChainCatcher news, the Spanish cryptocurrency exchange platform Bit2Me has announced that it has received approval from the Argentine National Securities Commission (CNV) to become a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP).In March of this year, the CNV opened registration for Virtual Asset Service Providers, which is a prerequisite for companies in the industry wishing to operate in the country. According to the official list provided by the CNV, a total of 79 companies have been approved so far.Previous news, on June 15, 2023, Bit2Me completed a $15 million financing round, led by Investcorp, with participation from Telefónica's investment arm Telefónica Ventures, Stratminds VC, Cardano, and YGG Fund.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, the Argentine Ministry of Education has partnered with ETH Kipu to incorporate Ethereum blockchain technology into high school curricula in Buenos Aires.Meanwhile, high schools in Buenos Aires will also offer blockchain internship opportunities to provide students with practical experience. The first course of the program will start on August 27.In addition, ETH Kipu stated that it will implement an online Solidity course. This course aims to train 500 students over the age of 18 to develop decentralized applications (DApps) using this programming language. The foundation plans to prepare 30 instructors to provide students with training in Ethereum and blockchain.

ChainCatcher news, according to DL News, TRM Labs has disclosed that it assisted Argentine law enforcement in the arrest of a Russian citizen.It is reported that this individual is involved in a multi-million dollar money laundering operation. The 29-year-old suspect accepted cryptocurrency benefits from illegal actors, including the hacker group Lazarus Group. Additionally, the suspect used a Telegram bot to exchange rubles, USDT, euros, and dollars for Argentine pesos. During the arrest, police seized over $120,000 worth of cryptocurrency and an additional $15 million from properties controlled by the suspect.

ChainCatcher news, Argentina's Economy Minister Caputo recently announced that "the Argentine government will cease issuing currency, and in the future, the total amount of currency in Argentina will either remain unchanged or decrease due to the purchase of foreign exchange."

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, Argentina has recently released relevant regulations that will apply to previously approved legislative proposals affecting the inclusion of cryptocurrencies and other undeclared assets into the country's tax system. Only taxpayers holding assets in registered VASPs can enjoy these benefits. These taxpayers can be exempt from taxes on up to $100,000 of cryptocurrency.

ChainCatcher news, a Forbes report highlights that Argentinians are increasingly turning to cryptocurrency to hedge against the inflation of the local currency. The country's cryptocurrency adoption rate exceeds that of any country in the Western Hemisphere.Analysis from SimilarWeb shows that out of 130 million users across the top 55 cryptocurrency exchanges, 2.5 million are from Argentina. Popular exchanges in the country include Binance, eToro, BingX, HTX, and Bitget.

ChainCatcher news, recently, 4E and the Argentina national football team jointly released several short videos. In the videos, the star players of the Argentina team endorse 4E, conveying the brand values and vision of 4E, showcasing the partnership reaching new heights.Since officially establishing a global partnership in March this year, the collaboration between 4E and the Argentina national team has been gaining momentum, with a series of multidimensional and in-depth interactions injecting strong impetus into the strategic expansion of both brands worldwide.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, Argentine fintech company Tapi has completed a $20 million Series A funding round, led by Kaszek, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and others. Tomas Mindlin, co-founder and CEO of Tapi, stated that the company is expanding its operations in Mexico.It is reported that Tapi is a payment processor for major Latin American consumer platforms such as Mercado Pago and cryptocurrency exchange Lemon. The company expects to process approximately $400 million in payments across the five countries it operates in this year, growing fourfold by 2023. The company has about 70 employees, most of whom are based in Argentina. The CEO stated that total payment volume is expected to increase fivefold by the end of this year, reaching 10 million transactions per month. Tapi's payment processing technology is designed to help fintech companies serve customers in multiple countries.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, cryptocurrency wallet provider Argent is collaborating with Mastercard and blockchain startup Kulipa to launch a new crypto payment card. The agreement will utilize Starknet's zero-knowledge technology.Kulipa co-founder and CEO Axel Cateland stated, "We are proud to launch Argent as our first non-custodial wallet and to partner with Mastercard to continue contributing to the adoption of everyday crypto payments globally."The Kulipa branded card will convert Circle's USDC or Paxos branded stablecoins into fiat currency in the background, meaning merchants do not need to integrate crypto payment tools. The press release stated, "This process ensures that any Mastercard user and merchant globally can enjoy a seamless debit card payment experience, with on-chain settlement possible on almost any blockchain."

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, as local inflation rates soar, Argentina's cryptocurrency adoption rate has set a record in the Americas. Analysts say that Argentina has consistently led the Western Hemisphere in cryptocurrency adoption, with an annual inflation rate as high as 276%.In an article on July 8, Forbes analysts stated that Argentina's cryptocurrency adoption rate is higher than any other country in the Western Hemisphere in proportion to the global population. The report cited website data from Similarweb, noting that out of 130 million visitors to the world's 55 largest exchanges, 2.5 million came from Argentina.In terms of visitor numbers, Argentina is also the largest market for the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance. According to SimilarWeb data, traffic from Argentina accounts for 6.9% of Binance's total visits.