* Crypto used as inflation hedge in Argentina, Venezuela * Curbs on foreign currency transactions boost its appeal * Many virtual coin users hurt by tumbling prices this year By David Feliba BUENOS AIRES, Dec 14 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The "crypto winter" has shattered the money-making hopes of many small investors around the world, but in inflation-plagued Argentina, cryptocurrency converts are holding on. Inflation is expected to reach 100% this year in South America's No. 2 economy, and for many Argentine retail investors the priority is to protect the value of their savings - traditionally by buying dollars, but increasingly virtual coins.