A new report from crypto exchange Bitso shows that for the first time, US dollar-linked stablecoins have overtaken Bitcoin as the most purchased digital asset in Latin America, signaling a major shift toward utility over speculation.
The findings, based on activity from nearly 10 million users on the platform, show stablecoins like USDT and USDC made up 40% of crypto purchases in 2025. The report, released April 30, describes the trend as a form of “digital dollarization” in a region battling persistent inflation and currency depreciation.
While Bitcoin purchases fell to 18% of the total, the asset remains the region’s primary long-term holding, present in 52% of user portfolios. The global stablecoin market now stands at approximately $320 billion, according to the report, as their use for savings, payments, and remittances grows.
This pivot to dollar-pegged assets highlights a maturing market where practical financial needs are driving adoption. For users in countries with volatile local currencies, stablecoins offer a crucial tool for wealth preservation and daily transactions, even as the US dollar itself faces inflation.
Institutions Embrace Stablecoin Rails
The trend is not limited to retail users. Financial giants are increasingly integrating stablecoins into their core operations, adding legitimacy to the payment method. Visa recently expanded its stablecoin settlement pilot to nine blockchains, including Polygon and Base, after its annualized settlement volume hit $7 billion, a 50 percent increase from the prior quarter.
“Our partners are building in a multi-chain world, and they expect their options to reflect that reality,” Rubail Birwadker, Visa’s global head of growth products and strategic partnerships, said about the expansion.
This move from experimental trials to live deployments across multiple continents shows that institutions now view blockchain-based settlement as a competitive necessity. It also reinforces the core use case for stablecoins that is driving retail adoption in Latin America: faster, cheaper, and more accessible payment rails.
Bitcoin’s Role as Digital Gold Endures
While stablecoins are winning the payments battle, Bitcoin continues to serve as Latin America’s preferred long-term digital store of value. Its share in regional crypto portfolios dipped only one percentage point to 52% from 2024, showing sustained conviction from holders.
“Bitcoin continues to function as Latin America’s primary long-term digital store of value,” the Bitso report stated.
This dual-track adoption—stablecoins for daily finance and Bitcoin for long-term savings—paints a nuanced picture of the crypto market in emerging economies. Users are making sophisticated choices based on the distinct properties of different digital assets. The next phase will likely see increased regulatory attention as the scale of this parallel financial system grows, testing whether this grassroots adoption can integrate with traditional finance.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
