News updates December 19, 2021

1. A common misconception, bitcoin is not a drain on the environment but an incentive for ever-increasing energy efficiency. Upon reading the opinion piece in the San Francisco Chronicle penned by Steve Westly, we are reminded of Brandolini’s Law, which we paraphrase here: "The amount of energy needed to refute misinformation is an order of magnitude larger than is needed to produce it.” In order to prevent wasting our own or our readers' time, we will rebut the claims made by Mr. Westly as succinctly as possible, relying upon the vast cannon of public data and writing that already exists about Bitcoin and energy. His claims are not new, they are grossly misleading, and they have been refuted ad infinitum.
2. Leading Mexican Retailer Grupo Elektra Accepts Bitcoin. 

   Mexico’s Grupo Elektra, a leading retailer in Latin America, is accepting bitcoin for payments. The chain belongs to conglomerate Grupo Salinas, which is owned by Mexico’s third-richest billionaire, the pro-bitcoin Ricardo Salinas Pliego.

   Ricardo Salinas Pliego’s Retail Chain, Grupo Elektra, Now Accepts Bitcoin
   Elektra is a supermarket and banking chain belonging to conglomerate Grupo Salinas, which is owned by Mexico’s third-richest billionaire, Ricardo Salinas Pliego. Salinas tweeted Thursday.

3. A $22-million Miami Condo, The Biggest Crypto Deal Is Changing Luxury Real Estate. Cryptocurrency come a long way, and real estate’s future is closely linked to Crypto assets, in what has been described as the largest-known cryptocurrency deal this June when the premium penthouse of Arte Surfside — oceanfront luxury condos in Miami Beach finished in 2019, with the latest price estimates, which put it at $11.2 million — sold for $22.5 million. The developers had announced then that they would be accepting Cryptocurrency. The estate is now again listed for resale, and this time, the asking price has shot to $28 million. Cryptocurrency, which is changing how we travel, will also become the go-to in the luxury real estate market. 
4. Crypto Owners in Serbia Reach 200,000 as Country Regulates Digital Assets. The number of cryptocurrency holders in Serbia has climbed to around 200,000 with interest in cryptocurrencies increasing alongside growing crypto markets. The country’s decision to legally recognize digital assets this year has also contributed to their increasing popularity.
5. Crypto India: RBI reportedly seeks a blanket ban on Cryptocurrencies. According to Economic Times insider reports, yesterday’s meeting of the Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) took a bitter turn when RBI presented with suggestions for an absolute ban on cryptocurrencies. RBI’s anti-crypto stance was supported by its long standing argument, about crypto as a threat to macroeconomic and financial stability, along with exchange management.