• Bitcoin’s timestamping server plays an unexpected role in ensuring transparency during Guatemala’s 2023 presidential election, verifying the authenticity of votes and timings.
• Bitcoin’s price has once again come under selling pressure amid the recent restructuring plan at the Evergrande Group.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency Bitcoin (BTC) is now at the center stage of conducting fair and transparent governmental elections. Although Bitcoin primarily operates as a proof-of-work system for developing a novel electronic payment system, its timestamping server has uncovered a novel application in Guatemala’s presidential election in Central America.

A surprising application of Bitcoin’s technology emerged during the 2023 Guatemalan general election. President-elect Bernardo Arévalo faced allegations of election misconduct, leading the opposing candidate to call for a vote recount. In response, Simple Proof’s web tool showed that the voting had been timestamped at the close of the election day. This timestamping helped verify the authenticity of the votes and their respective timings.

On August 29, 2023, Arevalo’s election victory was officially confirmed by the Guatemalan authorities, despite legal challenges and allegations of irregularities from opponents, particularly from the country’s conservative elite.

The concept of timestamping, as presented in Satoshi Nakamoto’s “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” whitepaper, serves as a crucial component for generating a tamper-resistant proof of work within the Bitcoin network. This timestamp server plays a pivotal role in preventing double spending and preserving the network’s integrity.

This development in Guatemala coincides with ongoing efforts in Central America, notably in El Salvador, where Bitcoin’s role in the ecosystem continues to be strengthened. El Salvador made history by officially adopting BTC as a legal tender in September 2021, marking the first instance of a nation embracing a cryptocurrency in such a manner.

Bitcoin Price Erases September Gains

The Bitcoin price has once again come under selling pressure in the early Asian trading hours on Monday, September 25. As of press time, BTC is trading 1.77% down at a price of $26,134 and a market cap of $509 billion.

On the downside, the crucial support area for Bitcoin is $24,800 while on the upside, Bitcoin has a scope of bouncing back by 20% to the $31,000 resistance levels. Popular crypto market analyst Whale Wire notes that the Bitcoin price seems to be under the influence of current developments at China’s Evergrande Group and its plans for restructuring.

There is ongoing speculation that Evergrande could be a significant issuer of commercial paper supporting Tether’s stablecoin. Despite Tether’s repeated claims to the contrary, they have refrained from disclosing details about their commercial paper holdings.

Given Tether’s history of lack of transparency, it’s understandable that investors remain skeptical. It’s akin to offering someone a sandwich and vociferously asserting that it definitely doesn’t contain tainted horsemeat.

Furthermore, Tether has strong ties to the world of Bitcoin, accounting for a substantial portion of its trading volume and frequently being employed to artificially manipulate its prices. Given this relationship, the looming Evergrande crisis might potentially have repercussions for Bitcoin, so exercising caution is prudent.