The Bolivian central bank reported on June 27 that domestic crypto transactions totaled $430 million in the 12 months since regulators reopened formal payment rails, a 630% jump over the previous year. 

The Banco Central de Bolivia (BCB) reported that users processed 10,193 operations worth BOB 611 million as of May 31, 2025, approximately $88 million. 

Natural persons executed 86% of those transfers, and men accounted for 77% of that cohort. The report counted flows only on channels registered with the financial system supervisor ASFI, leaving peer-to-peer activity outside the tally. Binance-linked rails moved the largest share. 

First-half volumes highlight the pace. Crypto payments climbed from $46.5 million in the first six months of 2024 to $294 million in the comparable 2025 window.

Oversight strategy

The growth follows Resolution 082/2024, issued last June 25, which formally recognized “virtual assets” and allowed banks to route customer orders to exchanges.

Bolivia extended the use of crypto to the public sector on March 13, when authorities permitted the national energy company YPFB to pay for fuel imports with digital assets, citing an acute dollar shortage and ongoing fuel supply strain.

The BCB stated that it would publish quarterly dashboards on exchange activity and collaborate with the tax authority, SIN, to integrate wallet analytics with existing value-added tax records. 

Banks must file daily reports on crypto outflows and maintain real-time screening against the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions list. Regulators flagged 27 accounts for enhanced examination but imposed no fines in the period reviewed.

Officials have warned that custodial wallets are excluded from the national deposit insurance scheme. 

They urged users to keep their private keys offline and to verify the spelling of the domain name before logging in. The literacy modules include live demonstrations of deep-fake investment scams that recently targeted WhatsApp groups in La Paz. 

New legal guardrails and education push

President Luis Arce’s government advanced the framework in May with Supreme Decree 5384, creating licenses for fintech firms and virtual-asset service providers. 

The decree mandates anti-money laundering controls aligned with GAFILAT guidance and defines tokenized assets, blockchain networks, and custody obligations. ASFI has 40 working days to publish implementing rules.

The BCB paired the legal overhaul with a national literacy campaign. Officials scheduled workshops in all nine departments to cover private-key management, price volatility, and fraud prevention. 

“Modern digital tools can improve economic activity, but citizens must understand the risks,” the report said.

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Crypto Journalist

Amin Ayan

Crypto Journalist

Amin Ayan

About Author

Amin Ayan is a crypto journalist with over four years of experience in the industry. He has contributed to leading publications such as Cryptonews, Investing.com, 99Bitcoins, and 24/7 Wall St. He has…

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May 30, 2025

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) saw a sharp reversal on May 30, recording $430.8 million in outflows and ending a 31-day inflow streak — the longest since the fund’s launch in January.

According to Farside data, this marks IBIT’s largest daily outflow to date, surpassing the previous record of $418.1 million on February 26.

The pullback comes after a strong month in which BlackRock accumulated nearly $6.2 billion in new Bitcoin holdings.

IBIT Holds $70 Billion in Bitcoin

ETF analyst Nate Geraci commented on the sudden shift, writing on X: “What a run over the past 30+ days, though.”

He noted that IBIT now holds roughly $70 billion in Bitcoin, calling the figure “ridiculous” given the fund’s relatively short history.

Across the broader U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF market, the story was similar. The group of 11 funds posted $616.1 million in net outflows on May 30, marking a second consecutive day of redemptions.

The previous day, May 29, saw $346.8 million in outflows, breaking a 10-day inflow streak.

Interestingly, BlackRock bucked the trend on May 29 by recording an inflow while other issuers saw redemptions.

“Every other issuer saw red. BlackRock kept buying… big brain energy right there,” Master Ventures founder Kyle Chasse commented.

Chasse suggested the recent sell-off wasn’t driven by retail panic but reflected a “quiet transfer of supply to the strongest hands.”

Despite the recent ETF activity, Bitcoin’s spot price remains under pressure. BTC is trading at $103,700, down 2.27% over the past 24 hours, per CoinMarketCap.

In the week ending May 23, spot Bitcoin ETFs had posted $2.75 billion in inflows.

Bitcoin Consolidates Below $110K

Bitcoin is consolidating near key levels after its recent all-time high, with traders closely watching for signals of the next major move, according to Hyblock Capital’s latest market report.

In a recent note shared with Cryptonews.com, Hyblock CEO Shubh Varma noted that Open Interest (OI) remains elevated in the 95th percentile, while combined order book liquidity is at 96%, reflecting a market primed for volatility.

“The longer this range holds, the greater the odds of a sharp breakout or stop hunt,” Varma said.

Retail stop-losses are reportedly concentrated at the edges of the current range, making them potential targets for liquidity-driven wicks.

On Binance, resistance is building between $109.5K–$110.5K, while key support lies at $105K–$105.5K. A break below could open the door to $98K.

A similar structure is forming on Bybit, with notable resistance at $110.5K–$111K and support zones mirroring Binance.

Varma highlighted a shift in sentiment, with retail longs at 48% and leverage flipping to short-heavy positioning.

This setup may fuel increased volatility if impatient traders rush into new positions.

“The passive order book is highly stacked, and leverage indicators are leaning bearish,” Varma said.

However, retail positioning near the 48% long mark has previously coincided with bullish reversals.