WAO ART #343

Argentina is turning to cryptocurrency, particularly blockchain technology, as a potential solution to its economic challenges. The country's high inflation rate has severely eroded the value of savings, leading to a growing adoption of cryptocurrency as a means of preserving earnings.

Metamask, the Ethereum and Ethereum Virtual Machine wallet, has launched its validator staking services. This new feature allows users with 32 ETH to stake them directly from the Metamask Portfolio interface. The service is backed by Consensys Staking, which manages over 4% of the total ETH staked.

The Irish government has warned exporters to Great Britain to prepare for new post-Brexit border controls starting from the end of January. These changes will have a significant impact on Irish agri-food exporters to Great Britain, as they will face new customs processes and certification requirements.

Terraform Labs, led by CEO Do Kwon, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US, citing estimated assets and liabilities between $100-500m. The company plans to settle debts without seeking additional financing and believes that filing for bankruptcy will help navigate ongoing legal proceedings.

Nigeria has announced that it will no longer recognize university degrees from Kenya and Uganda due to concerns of fake degrees being handed out. The Nigerian government plans to extend the ban to other countries as well. Fake certificates have been a problem in Africa for years.

Australia has ended its "golden visa" scheme, which allowed wealthy foreign investors to live in the country. The program, designed to attract foreign business, was scrapped after the government found it was not delivering economic benefits and was being used by corrupt officials to hide illicit funds.

Ondo Finance, a tokenized investment protocol, is expanding to the Asia Pacific region to tap into the growing crypto community. The company plans to establish its first office in the region, aiming to integrate into the local crypto-friendly environment and leverage the region's substantial wealth.