MAROKO133 Hot crypto: Argentina Weighs Allowing Traditional Banks To Trade Cryptocurrencie

📌 MAROKO133 Update crypto: Argentina Weighs Allowing Traditional Banks To Trade Cr

Argentina’s central bank is reportedly weighing a move that could redraw the country’s crypto landscape, drafting rules that would let traditional banks offer trading and custody services for digital assets after years of leaving that business to exchanges and fintech platforms.

Local outlet La Nacion reported Friday that the officials are working on a regulation that would open the door for lenders to handle cryptocurrencies directly, although they have not committed to a timetable or disclosed key details.

One exchange operating in the country believes the measure could win approval around April 2026, signalling a relatively near-term shift if the process stays on track.

The idea has circulated quietly for months among exchanges, people close to regulators and a handful of bankers. It fits with a broader push inside government circles to ease restrictions on crypto use and bring part of the activity that already happens at scale into the formal financial system.

Crypto Demand Surges As Argentines Seek Stability Amid Inflation

For Argentina, the stakes are higher than in most markets. Years of inflation and currency controls have pushed savers toward dollars and digital assets, and crypto has become a parallel store of value for many households.

By one estimate, Argentines are now six times more likely to use crypto on a daily basis than residents of the average Latin American country.

Allowing banks to trade and hold crypto on behalf of clients could give that demand a new channel. Analysts say regulated lenders can offer familiar on-ramps, clearer disclosures and more robust compliance checks, which together may make digital assets feel less like a grey market product and more like a standard investment option.

The real impact, they caution, will depend on how the central bank draws the lines on issues such as custody standards, capital treatment and which tokens qualify.

Libra Scandal Casts A Long Shadow Over Argentina’s Crypto Debate

The debate is unfolding in the long shadow of the Libra meme coin scandal, a blow that shook confidence in Argentina’s crypto scene and raised uncomfortable questions about political promotion of speculative tokens.

That episode erupted in Feb. 2025 when President Javier Milei, known for his libertarian economic agenda and enthusiasm for digital assets, posted on X endorsing the Solana-based Libra token as a tool for “market-driven innovation” and economic liberation from the peso.

The coin’s price raced from fractions of a cent to more than $4.50 within hours of his post, lifting its fully diluted valuation to around $4.6b before collapsing more than 96% in what investigators described as a classic rug pull by its creators at Kelsier Ventures.

Thousands of investors, many of them everyday Argentines who took the president’s message as a green light, were left holding the bag, with losses estimated between $100m and $251m.

Argentina’s central bank has swung between tolerance and crackdowns in the past, at one point barring unregulated crypto services in the banking system, and any turn toward openness would mark a significant change in stance.

For now, officials appear to be testing whether they can bring a fast growing market into the tent without importing too much of its volatility into the traditional financial system.

The post Argentina Weighs Allowing Traditional Banks To Trade Cryptocurrencies appeared first on Cryptonews.

🔗 Sumber: cryptonews.com

📌 MAROKO133 Hot crypto: Harvard Bets Big on Bitcoin With $443M Stake, Outpacing Go

Harvard University expanded its Bitcoin ETF holdings by 257% in the third quarter, making the iShares Bitcoin Trust its largest disclosed position with $442.8 million as of September 30.

According to Matt Hougan, Bitwise CIO, Harvard simultaneously increased its gold ETF holdings by 99% to $235 million, allocating to Bitcoin at a 2-to-1 ratio relative to gold.

The $443 million position represents approximately 0.75% of Harvard’s $57 billion endowment, ranking the institution among the top 20 largest holders of the BlackRock-managed fund.

Timing Proves Problematic as Bitcoin Tumbles

Harvard’s aggressive Bitcoin accumulation came right before a sharp market correction that has erased substantial value from its cryptocurrency holdings.

Bitcoin has dropped more than 20% since the third quarter ended, falling from $114,000 to around $92,000.

The timing suggests Harvard could face a 14% loss on its third-quarter purchases in the best-case scenario, assuming shares were bought at July’s low point, which represents an $89 million paper loss on the recent position alone.

While the losses remain a fraction of Harvard’s massive endowment, the university’s annualized returns have lagged behind some Ivy League peers over the past decade, according to WSJ.

Harvard posted an 8.2% return ranking ninth out of 10 elite schools in a Markov Processes International comparison. For the year ending June 30, Harvard reported an 11.9% gain but trailed MIT’s 14.8% and Stanford’s 14.3%.

Stanford finance professor Joshua Rauh explained in an interview with The Harvard Crimson that “investors often seem to view both bitcoin and gold as hedges against a collapse of the international monetary system in general, and against a loss of the US dollar in particular.”

However, he cautioned that “the extent to which either actually protects investors from these forces is uncertain and scenario-dependent.“

Academic Skepticism Meets Institutional Validation

Harvard’s substantial Bitcoin allocation stands in stark contrast to earlier predictions from its own economics faculty.

Kenneth Rogoff, a Harvard professor and former IMF chief economist, stated in 2018 that Bitcoin would more likely trade at $100 than $100,000 within a decade.

“I think bitcoin will be worth a tiny fraction of what it is now if we’re headed out 10 years from now,” Rogoff told CNBC, arguing that removing money laundering and tax evasion would leave Bitcoin with “very small” transaction uses.

Rogoff recently acknowledged his misjudgment in his new book “Our Dollar, Your Problem,” writing, “I was far too optimistic about the US coming to its senses about sensible cryptocurrency regulation.”

He added that he “did not anticipate a situation where regulators, and especially the regulator in chief, would be able to brazenly hold hundreds of millions (if not billions) of dollars in cryptocurrencies seemingly without consequence given the blatant conflict of interest.“

Despite growing institutional adoption, criticism of Harvard’s Bitcoin investment has intensified.

MarketWatch columnist Brett Arends called the investment an “environmental catastrophe,” noting that Bitcoin’s global computing network uses more energy than Thailand or Poland annually.

Meanwhile, Stanford professor Darrell Duffie also expressed surprise at the investment, stating, “Bitcoin does not pay dividends and has limited uses as a payment instrument.“

Bitcoin’s Path Forward Remains Uncertain

Bitcoin is struggling to find direction amid ETF outflows and weakening market sentiment, creating uncertainty about whether it can reclaim the $100,000 threshold.

More than $2.7 billion has left Bitcoin ETF products over the past five weeks.

Speaking with Cryptonews, Arthur Azizov, Founder and Investor at B2 Ventures, described the current situation as “a market that has lost its anchor at the exact moment it needed stability.“

He noted a disconnect with traditional markets, pointing out that “the S&P 500 is up more than 16% this year, while Bitcoin is down about 3%.“

Azizov identified key resistance levels ahead, explaining that “a large share of Bitcoin is currently held at a loss, so each move toward $96,000–$100,000 meets selling from holders who want to exit at break-even.”

He added that approximately $3.35 billion in Bitcoin options expire around a $91,000 area of interest, making traders cautious.

“Only a strong move above $100,000 co…