Bolivia considers adopting USDT, switch to AI in cryptocurrency mining triggers censorship

stablecoins are moving beyond the traditional narrative of "transferring money faster" and entering a more basic function: helping individuals and businesses access dollars when the local monetary environment is unstable.

In Bolivia, a new proposal would formally recognize Tether's USDT for payments-a move aimed at expanding access to dollar-denominated assets as the country continues to face foreign exchange pressure. At the same time, market attention is also turning to how crypto-native infrastructure companies can translate new strategies into shareholder value. Bitcoin miners 'moves to promote artificial intelligence and high-performance computing plans are under review, with investors focusing on governance and insider trading, although certain transactions still attract a lot of attention.

Key Points

Bolivia is reviewing a framework that allows the USDT to flow in parallel with the Bolivian Nao and the U.S. dollar for payments and savings, and plans to implement anti-money laundering controls. The move is linked to chronic dollar shortages and growing pressures between official and parallel market exchange rates, which have increased demand for dollar-denominated alternatives. Bitcoin miners 'shift to artificial intelligence infrastructure is facing stricter investor scrutiny, including questions about insider stock sell-offs and whether AI-driven gains benefit public shareholders. CleanSpark's data center lease agreement in Georgia highlights the industry's efforts to replace or supplement mining revenue with long-term infrastructure contracts. Bitmine reported revenue of $45.7 million from Ethereum pledges and verifications in the previous quarter, highlighting the pledge business's ability to maintain cash generation capabilities even when token prices fluctuate.

Bolivia promotes recognition of USDT as a payment option

Bolivia is considering a regulatory option that would recognize Tether's USDT as a payment currency. If passed, the rule would allow the USDT to flow in parallel with the Bolivian Nino and the U.S. dollar for payments and savings. Economy and Public Finance Minister Jose Gabriel Espinosa said the proposal would also include anti-money laundering safeguards. This is crucial for Bolivia, which remains on the Financial Action Task Force's "grey list", a status that tends to raise compliance expectations for any financial product that may touch broader cross-border flows.

This move stems from two related developments. First, Bolivia lifted its ban on cryptocurrencies in 2024. Second, the new government is committed to expanding access to digital asset services. While stablecoins are often advertised as a tool for quickly transferring value across borders, the case of Bolivia highlights another driving factor: a domestic shortage of dollars. The proposal comes as Bolivia faces a chronic shortage of the dollar and pressure on foreign exchange reserves forced the government to abandon its long-standing exchange-rate peg earlier this year. This shift has increased demand for dollar-denominated alternatives, and USDT has become a de facto payment channel for those seeking a more stable value than Boliano.

For investors and builders, its significance is not only at the policy level. This is a signal that stablecoins are being incorporated into the mainstream economy's response mechanism-especially in markets where access to official dollars is limited and parallel market spreads widen. What is uncertain is how quickly the framework will move from proposal to implementation, and how regulators will actually implement anti-money laundering requirements.

Miners 'artificial intelligence strategy faces governance and insider trading issues

In another thread of crypto industry news, investors 'attention is increasingly shifting from miners' artificial intelligence visions to issues of execution and accountability. Investors are looking at insider stock selling by bitcoin miners pursuing artificial intelligence infrastructure strategies as enthusiasm for the subject cools and governance issues surface. According to Blocksbridge Consulting, executives from TeraWulf, Cipher Digital, Riot Platforms and Core Scientific have disclosed stock sell-offs in recent months. Many of these sell-offs were said to have been carried out in accordance with a pre-arranged 10b5 -1 trading plan. In addition, Blocksbridge said some strategic investors have also reduced their holdings, including Tether, which reportedly reduced its stake in Bitdeer after it rose on artificial intelligence-related stocks.

This scrutiny comes at a time when the AI narrative may not be performing as strongly as investors expected. The TEM artificial intelligence infrastructure growth index has fallen 16% in the past month, indicating that the "artificial intelligence tailwind" for infrastructure-related stocks has cooled. Blocksbridge's explanation for this is straightforward: Investors are looking beyond the AI growth story to assess whether the benefits of the miners 'strategic transformation are translating into value for public shareholders. In other words, it is not enough to adopt artificial intelligence infrastructure as a theme-the market wants clarity on timing, cash flow, and whether management incentives are consistent with long-term shareholder interests.

CleanSpark's lease agreement implies a shift to contracted infrastructure revenue

Even if the context in which investors look remains, not all developments in artificial intelligence infrastructure are treated equally. CleanSpark's share price soared-a reported gain of as much as 22 percent-after it signed a 20-year Georgia data center lease agreement. The agreement covers the company's 175-megawatt data center located in the Sandsville campus in Georgia. The lease agreement was signed with an undisclosed investment-grade global technology company, and the tenant is expected to install computing equipment at the location. Phased delivery is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027. CleanSpark could generate significant contract revenue: The deal could generate as much as $6.6 billion in contract revenue. If customers exercise two five-year renewal options, the total value is said to reach $11.6 billion. Such transactions are particularly important to miners because they can provide a more predictable source of revenue than fluctuations in operating margins that are affected by the mining economic cycle.

Background is also important. The agreement reflects a broader trend for listed miners to seek new sources of revenue as mining conditions continue to pressure after halving. While many peers have increased liquidity by reducing bitcoin holdings, CleanSpark remains largely a net accumulator, although it reportedly sold some bitcoins earlier this year to fund operations. The company's stance is being closely watched because it affects how aggressively it can invest while maintaining its exposure to bitcoin upside. The key for readers who follow this area is to see whether more miners can build similar long-term contracts and identify time milestones-and whether these assets can generate measurable diversified benefits in financial results rather than just staying at the announcement level.

Bitmine gets US$45.7 million from Ethereum pledge and verification

在加密基础设施的业务方面，Bitmine Immersion Technologies报告的财务业绩主要受质押驱动。该公司上一季度从以太坊质押和验证中获得了4570万美元的收入。在截至5月31日的三个月里，以太坊质押占Bitmine收入的98%。相比之下，自挖比特币收入为62.4万美元，咨询服务收入为16.8万美元。这些业绩建立在Bitmine的质押平台路线图之上。Bitmine于3月推出了MAVAN，这是一个机构级以太坊质押平台，基于对验证器运营商Pier Two Holdings的收购。该公司表示，已质押了其以太坊持有量的大约85%——约490万ETH。董事长汤姆·李表示，Bitmine现在质押的以太坊比任何其他实体都多，并预计一旦其持有的以太坊通过MAVAN及其合作伙伴完成全部质押，年化质押奖励将达到2.84亿美元。即使没有围绕挖矿相关头条新闻的叙事性兴奋，质押业务也能提供另一种韧性：当价格波动影响交易活动时，费用和质押参与仍可成为核心收入引擎。

The next thing to focus on is how quickly Bitmine can achieve full pledge exposure through MAVAN and partner channels, and whether the company's reward prospects can be maintained as network conditions and competitive pledge dynamics change. A common theme in these stories is how crypto infrastructure adapts to real-world constraints-whether it's a shortage of dollars driving stablecoin payments, or miners seeking more stable cash flow through contractual computing power, or pledge providers distributing expanded revenue through platforms. For market participants, the near-term question is which of these approaches can translate into lasting compliance, predictable revenue, and governance consistent with shareholder interests, rather than just temporary momentum.