Despite surging crypto adoption in emerging markets, the promise of financial sovereignty remains unfulfilled. Millions hold digital wealth they can’t easily use without seamless payment systems and practical off-ramps. Opinion by: Timothy Chen, global head of strategy, Mantle While crypto adoption accelerates across Southeast Asia and Latin America, a deeper structural problem persists: Payments remain slow, error-prone and exclusionary. The premise of financial sovereignty through blockchain remains tantalizingly incomplete. Millions hold digital assets, yet they cannot seamlessly integrate them into daily life. This paradoxical disconnect — digital wealth without practical utility — represents a critical infrastructural gap where emerging markets suffer most. Read more
Brazil’s new 17.5% flat crypto tax replaces previous exemptions and now applies to all digital asset gains. On June 12, 2025, Brazil introduced a sweeping new cryptocurrency tax law under Provisional Measure 1303. It replaces the old progressive tax model with a flat 17.5% crypto tax on all capital gains — no matter how much is earned or where the assets are held. The policy ends the long-standing exemption that allowed individuals to sell up to 35,000 Brazilian reais (~$6,300) in crypto each month tax-free. Read more
Bitcoin shorts are suddenly on the receiving end of punishment as a US employment data surprise injects fresh volatility into BTC price action. Key points: US private-sector jobs numbers declined more than 4% in June — the biggest drop since March 2023. Bitcoin sees relief, building on a rebound which has begun to trap late short positions. Read more