The people of Panama may soon be able to buy their morning brew with Bitcoin: the country’s legislature just approved a bill regulating the use of cryptocurrencies in the country.
Now, the bill just needs to be signed by the country’s president before it comes into force. The “Crypto Law” states that it “regulates the trading and use of crypto-assets, the issuance of digital value, tokenization of precious metals and other assets, payment systems and other provisions.”
According to Congressman Gabriel Silva, it will help the Central American country—and tax haven—“become a hub of innovation and technology in Latin America.”
Aprobada la Ley de Crypto de Panamá! Esto ayudará a que Panamá se vaya consolidando como hub de innovación y tecnología de America Latina!
Crypto Law approved in third debate! This will help Panama become a hub of innovation and technology in Latin America!
The idea, according to the bill and Silva, is that Panamanians will be able to buy everyday goods with cryptocurrency, if they want to.
“Today I can go and pay for something to a merchant, and if the merchant wants to accept crypto, it's allowed, it's legal. Until today, that didn't exist in Panama, we are making it happen,” said Silva in an interview with local media. He added that over 50% of Panamanians were unbanked and the Crypto Law would help them.
#EsNoticia 🔴Asamblea Nacional aprobó en Tercer Debate el Proyecto de Ley que regula las Criptomonedas. "Este proyecto de ley busca que Panamá se convierta en un HUB de innovación de tecnología en América Latina", dijo el diputado @gabrielsilva8_7. Vía @felixchaveztvpic.twitter.com/EcwZwVbmg2
The law stipulates that cryptocurrencies will now be a valid form of payment "for any legal civil or commercial operation," including the payment of taxes, fees, and duties to the government. A full list of acceptable cryptocurrencies will be forthcoming, but for now the law highlights Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Litecoin, and Stellar, among a handful of other coins.
But the law will be different to El Salvador’s Bitcoin Law: in El Salvador, which made Bitcoin legal tender last September, a business must accept Bitcoin if it has the technological means to do so, the law states. In Panama, it will be up to the business.
Bitcoin is struggling in El Salvador, the first country to make the asset legal tender, according to a new report.
A survey conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research concludes that, despite El Salvador's Bitcoin Law, not many people in the country are using the cryptocurrency.
El Salvador, a dollarized country, last September made Bitcoin legal tender. The idea came from the country's president, Nayib Bukele, an eccentric leader who has been accused of authoritarianism by his cou...
The law also formally recognizes DAOsDAOs—decentralized autonomous organizations—as legal entities and sets the framework for the country to issue tokenized securities and commodities, like gold and silver, via security token offerings (STOsSTOs). DAOs are an increasingly popular way for businesses to operate in the crypto world, where control is spread out rather than hierarchical.
The law also wants to give the government more power to use blockchain technology, with the “digitization of the identity of individuals and legal entities” to create more transparency.
Jose Lanz contributed additional reporting.
Daily Debrief Newsletter
Start every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
Smoke from Nicaraguan cigars choked out the room as a heavy-set Bitcoin miner from the Deep South explained how the industry was expanding at an exponential rate.
"You have no idea," he said at this year's Mining Disrupt pre-party in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before following up with the common Bitcoiner maxim—repeated by President Trump on the campaign trail—that you should never sell your stash.
Having been involved in the space since the early days, he recalled buying a Ferrari with orange c...
Elon Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency made a comeback at the end of last year as retail investors flooded back into the market to snap up Dogecoin. The coin was launched as a joke in 2013, but has persisted over the years and remained prominent.
But just how serious is the business of mining the O.G. meme coin? People are actively buying the machines to do so, according to vendors at this year’s Mining Disrupt conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Though the conference was heavily focused on th...
Banks can engage in cryptocurrency and other legally permitted activities without seeking prior regulatory approval, so long as they manage risks appropriately, The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation announced Friday.
The policy change rescinds a 2022 requirement that mandated FDIC-supervised institutions notify the agency before engaging in crypto-related activities. Under the new guidance, banks can offer services involving digital assets without the agency's advance permission.
"With today...