Stablecoins Capture 40% of Latin American Crypto Buys
Stablecoins like USDT and USDC are reshaping how Latin Americans use crypto daily. While Bitcoin remains the region's dominant store of value at 52% of portfolios, stablecoins now account for 40% of all transactions—double Bitcoin's 18% purchase share—according to Bitso's annual adoption report covering its nearly 10 million retail users.
Key Takeaway
Latin America treats Bitcoin as savings and stablecoins as spending money.
Dollar-linked stablecoins captured 40% of all crypto purchases across Latin America in 2025, more than double Bitcoin's 18% share, according to Bitso's annual adoption report.
Bitso operates nearly 10 million retail users across the region and described the shift as digital dollarization. The trend reflects users' preference for stablecoins in daily transactions where volatility and fees matter.
Bitcoin held 52% of Latin American crypto portfolios in 2025, barely changed from 53% in 2024. Bitso said Bitcoin continues to function as Latin America's primary long-term digital store of value, but daily transaction patterns tell a different story.
Brazilian retail giant Mercado Libre launched a cross-border remittance product using its Meli dollar stablecoin. The company had discontinued issuing its Mercado Coin stablecoin earlier this year before pivoting to the new payment product.
Bitcoin traded at ₱4,707,017 ($76,617) at publication time, well below October's peak above ₱7,740,894 ($126,000). The price pulled back to the ₱3,686,140 ($60,000) range before recovering. MarketVector research argued that Bitcoin and gold share core traits including scarcity, decentralization and resistance to supply expansion that underpin their long-term value. The index maker projected Bitcoin could reach ₱10,259,757 ($167,000) by 2027 if historical patterns repeat, with the global stablecoin market now standing at ₱19.66 trillion ($320 billion).
This article was written based on reporting from Cointelegraph.
