Venezuela
Authoritarian Airdrop: Maduro 'Gifts' Petros to Venezuelans for Christmas
Discussing new trials of an LN point-of-sale app; updates in consumer & institutional crypto derivatives, and Venezuelan petros as holiday bonuses.

Venezuela's Maduro Says He Will Airdrop Half a Petro Each to Public Employees, Retirees
Venezuelans including public sector workers, retirees and the military are set to receive a petro token handout this Christmas, so long as they register for the state's crypto payments platform.

Venezuelans Made Lightning-Savvy Hardware to Use Bitcoin During Blackouts
Locha Mesh is building software and hardware for connecting to bitcoin's Lightning Network – even when the power's out.

Lock BTC, Get DAI: Lending Firm Bridges Bitcoin-DeFi Divide in Latin America
Ledn is partnering with MakerDAO to bring the ethereum-backed stablecoin DAI to more users in Latin America.

Flaws in LocalBitcoins Data Call Into Question Regional Adoption Claims
LocalBitcoins data is a starting point for research, but it isn't conclusive evidence of grassroots adoption.

Venezuelan Migrants Are Using Bitcoin for Remittances, But There’s a Catch
For many of these bitcoin users, crypto payments are merely a last resort and fiat transfers are still generally easier.

Venezuela's Maduro Mandates Petro Use in Funding of Housing Project
Venezuela's president has ordered his pet cryptocurrency, the petro, to be used in funding an ongoing housing initiative.

Venezuelan Pharmacy Chain to Accept Cryptocurrency Payments
The Farmarket pharmacy chain in Venezuela will begin accepting payments in dash using a new point-of-sale system pilot project.

PundiX's Crypto Cash Registers Will Be Installed in 49 Retail Stores Across Venezuela
Traki department stores will integrate Pundi X’s point-of-sale device, XPOS, to offer a cryptocurrency payment rail for shoppers.

Despite CEO Claims, Dash Isn’t Really the 'Most Used' Crypto in Venezuela
Despite wide-spread efforts and expensive advertising, Dash isn't taking off in Caracas.
