LatAm Crypto: Brazil Stablecoin Rule, Paraguay Mining Verdict, Binance Aid

Brazil's central bank proposed a 24-hour holding period for stablecoin remittances and cross-border payments above $10,000. The rule would let virtual asset service providers run risk analysis on those transactions and verify them against a customer's risk profile. The bank said the hold is not absolute. Funds could be released sooner if the intermediating VASP addresses the risks of the specific transaction before the window closes.

"The retention is exclusively precautionary in nature and is intended for risk analysis of the respective operation, not implying the definitive unavailability of assets," the bank stressed in a notice of rulemaking.

Paraguay's justice system handed down a conviction in a separate case. A tribunal found Cristian Daniel Jara Villalba and Ramon Martinez Morinigo liable for energy theft. The two individuals had bypassed the metering system to mine bitcoin. They received two-year jail sentences, suspended by the court. The National Power Administration of Paraguay called the ruling a milestone. The decision sets a precedent because one of the defendants held the power contract at the location where the miners were discovered and could not show he was unaware of the activity.

Binance Charity, the philanthropic arm of Binance, said it would distribute $3 million to Venezuelans living in zones hit by the recent earthquake. The funds will be sent as 20 USDT vouchers, redeemable in Binance's rewards hub. Only users who have completed Proof of Address and Know Your Customer procedures and live in La Guaira, Distrito Capital, Miranda, Aragua, Carabobo, Falcón, or Yaracuy qualify. "Users will receive the funds within a maximum of 30 days from the completion date of their POA," the exchange said.