Bitchat, a decentralized messaging application designed to function without internet access, has seen a sharp rise in adoption in Iran during a nationwide internet blackout that began in early January 2026.

Welcome to Latam Insights, a compilation of the most relevant crypto news from Latin America over the past week. In this week’s edition, crypto rallied after Venezuela’s military intervention, Colombia overhauls reporting standards for exchanges, and Coinbase suspends USDC onramp services in Argentina.

U.S. lawmakers are moving closer to rewriting the rules for digital assets as a key Senate panel advances sweeping market structure legislation aimed at regulatory clarity, investor protection, and keeping crypto innovation and jobs anchored in America.

Strategy founder Michael Saylor offered yet another subtle signal on Sunday, suggesting that his firm has most likely added more bitcoin to its holdings.

X is reportedly sharpening its financial toolkit after the firm’s Head of Product Nikita Bier announced Smart Cashtags on Jan. 11, 2026, pitching the upgrade as a way to turn the platform into a cleaner, more precise arena where market conversations already sway billions of dollars.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has declared the blockchain trilemma solved following the December 2025 Fusaka upgrade. The protocol is shifting toward distributed block building to prevent builder oligopolies from controlling transaction inclusion. Experts like Mo Dong note that while technically complex, the real challenge is incentive alignment, as distributed building complicates MEV extraction.

The king of crypto seems to have hit the snooze button. As of Jan. 11, 2026, bitcoin is trading at $90,828, riding a 24-hour intraday range between $90,291 and $90,850. With a market cap of $1.81 trillion and daily trading volume clocking in at $14.26 billion, bitcoin is sitting tight in its leather throne, cautiously surveying the battlefield.

Venezuela Shock Rally, Maduro Removed, Ledger Breach Response, Zcash Team Resigns, and more in this Week in Review.

Nasdaq and CME Group reintroduce the Nasdaq CME Crypto Index to provide a regulated benchmark for digital‑asset exposure.

The bank, one of the largest wealth managers, expects silver to continue rising in 2026, despite the metal experiencing a significant increase in 2025. For UBS strategists, an ounce of silver might reach $85 in just three months, and it might even reach triple digits this year.

Stonex Group leads EDG’s Series A round and forms a strategic partnership to expand digital‑asset offerings.

The stock exchange announced that this change will become effective in April and will allow customers to trade crypto and gold futures for 12 hours each day. B3 stated that these modifications to its trading hours schedule sought to offer more flexibility for these products.

Two of the biggest American banks have brightened their outlook on shares of Coinbase, the top crypto exchange in the United States.

Willy Woo rejects claims that Bitcoin’s four‑year cycle has ended, arguing that price data still supports the traditional rhythm until at least 2026. He likens social media misinterpretations to assuming a heartbeat no longer exists when its pace varies.

Coinbase is accelerating its push to dominate global crypto trading, fueled by surging liquidity, expanding derivatives and spot markets, and growing institutional demand, as CEO Brian Armstrong signals confidence in the platform’s next phase of scale.