The adoption of cryptocurrency in Argentina has witnessed increasing records even as the local inflation rate continues to rise.
According to analysts from Forbes, the American business journal, Argentina has been the leader in the Western hemisphere in adopting cryptocurrency, with an annual inflation rate of 276%.
Forbes analysts reported in an article on July 8 that Argentina’s adoption of cryptocurrency is greater than any other Western hemisphere nation as a percentage of its global population.
The report cited website data from Similarweb to indicate that 2.5 million of the 130 million visitors to 55 of the leading exchanges worldwide originated from Argentina.
Regarding visitors, Argentina is also the most visited market on Binance, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges. The website traffic from Argentina comprises 6.9% of Binance’s total visits, per SimilarWeb.
Argentines acquire spot USDT
Memes have not been the primary factor driving crypto adoption in Argentina, in contrast to the burgeoning memecoin trend in the crypto industry. The analysts asserted that the locals, as represented by Maximiliano Hin, Bitget’s chief of Latin America, prefer to hold stablecoins such as Tether.
“Argentina is an anomalous market in which a significant number of individuals purchase USDT, leaving little room for other investments,” Hinz stated.
“We don’t see this elsewhere. Argentines buy spot Tether and don’t do anything with it.”
Stablecoins, such as USDT, are a form of cryptocurrency intended to remain stable by being pegged to a reserve of U.S. dollars at a 1:1 ratio. Despite the absence of substantial measures to safeguard stablecoin investors, Argentina’s residents find it advantageous to maintain their funds in USDT due to the country’s substantial inflation rates.
The national securities regulator of Argentina has yet to register any significant exchanges, suggesting that the country has encountered difficulty in establishing a regulatory framework for the industry.
After President Javier Milei assumed office in late 2023, Argentina officially authorized using Bitcoin in legally binding contracts.
Since then, Argentina has exerted efforts to regulate the local cryptocurrency market, enacting registration requirements for crypto firms in April 2024.
Forbes reports that Argentina continues to encounter challenges in offering regulated cryptocurrency services to its populace despite the government’s efforts to regulate the industry.
The report asserted that none of Argentina’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges, including Binance, have registered with the national securities regulator, Comisión Nacional de Valores (CNV).
Hin of Bitget stated, “To the best of my knowledge, there is no licensing requirement in the Latin American countries where Bitget operates.”