"This Hidden Central American Surf Town Is Known as 'Bitcoin Beach'-Here's How to Visit," reads a fresh Travel + Leisure headline, which might leave a strapped but itinerant surfer with Central American habits or aspirations feeling just a little more squeezed in these increasingly precious times. El Salvador's El Zonte is no secret on the international surfing circuit, but to see it featured in T+L's margins suggests something else altogether.
Iran's national currency, the rial, has completely collapsed against the U.S. dollar as the country's economic crisis worsens. The value of one rial is now worth $0.00 right now. On the open market, one U.S. dollar now trades for roughly 1.4 million rials, a collapse that has erased decades of purchasing power and fueled widespread unrest. The currency's plunge isn't new, but the pace of decline in 2025 and early 2026 has been dramatic.
Brazil sits firmly near the top of the list for crypto adoption in 2025 Did you know? B3 (short for Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão) is Brazil's main stock exchange, formed in 2017 through the merger of São Paulo's securities, futures and commodities exchanges. It is one of the largest market infrastructures in the world and the first in Latin America to list a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).
The approval marks a significant moment not just for Relai, but for the broader Bitcoin ecosystem in Europe. The MiCA regulation, which came into effect earlier this year, establishes uniform rules for crypto companies across the EU, aiming to increase investor protection and reduce regulatory fragmentation between member states. While large exchanges like Binance and Coinbase are still navigating the complex licensing process, Relai's early authorization gives it a head start as one of the first Bitcoin-only firms to achieve compliance.