Circle the area on this map
A. The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states, including France. Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, use encrypted computer networks that governments or banks do not maintain. Currency values depend on how much buyers are willing to pay for the digital coins. Prices rise and fall very rapidly, leaving some wealthy and others bankrupt.
B. Binance was based in China when it began trading digital currency in 2017. China has since banned cryptocurrency trading. After moving to Japan and EU member Malta, the exchange now has no official headquarters. Several nations, including the United States, have investigated or fined Binance over charges of money laundering, tax evasion, and transferring funds to terrorists.
D. In Connecticut, the parents of a hacker were kidnapped by fellow hackers in a fight over the $230 million in Bitcoin they stole. Two teenagers kidnapped an investor in Las Vegas and stole $4 million in cryptocurrency from him. Last month, a cryptocurrency investor was kidnapped and tortured in New York City in an attempt to force him to turn over his digital fortune.
C. In 2021, El Salvador became the first country to make Bitcoin a legal tender to be used in public and private transactions. The nation began buying Bitcoins, which plunged by 70% before soaring in price, Most Salvadorans kept using more stable US dollars. Last Year, El Salvador stopped accepting Bitcoin for tax payments in exchange for a $1.4 billion international loan.