In 2025, the increase in cryptocurrency users in Latin America exceeded that of the U.S. by three times, according to a report.

Brazil and Argentina are at the forefront of growth, with Brazil leading in transaction volume and Argentina experiencing rising adoption due to cross-border payments and the utilization of stablecoins.

(Leon Overwheel/Unsplash/Modified by CoinDesk)

What to know:

• Latin America’s cryptocurrency market is expanding rapidly, with a 60% rise in transaction volume to $730 billion in 2025, fueled by users utilizing cryptocurrencies for payments and cross-border transactions.
• Brazil and Argentina are at the forefront of this expansion, with Brazil leading in transaction size and Argentina experiencing heightened adoption due to cross-border payments and stablecoin usage.
• Stablecoins are crucial to the region’s cryptocurrency expansion, facilitating practical applications such as transferring money internationally, receiving funds from platforms like PayPal, and circumventing traditional banking systems.

Latin America’s cryptocurrency market is growing at a much faster pace than that of the United States, as users increasingly depend on cryptocurrencies for payments and cross-border transactions rather than for speculation, according to a new report.

The region, as outlined in a report from the Argentinian crypto firm Lemon, recorded over $730 billion in cryptocurrency transaction volume in 2025, marking a 60% increase from the previous year and accounting for approximately 10% of global crypto activity.

Growth was not solely assessed based on transaction volume. The number of monthly active cryptocurrency app users in Latin America grew by about 18% year over year, roughly three times the rate of growth in the United States, the report indicated.

Brazil leads the region in terms of transaction size.

The country recorded $318.8 billion in cryptocurrency value, with growth nearing 250% year over year, primarily driven by institutional trading and increasing regulatory clarity for financial entities.

Argentina exhibits a different trend. Even though inflation decreased to approximately 32% in 2025, cryptocurrency adoption continued to rise. The average monthly users were four times greater than during the bull market of 2021, as per the report.

One significant factor is cross-border payments. Argentine fintech companies have integrated crypto systems with Brazil’s PIX instant payment network, enabling users to transact with Brazilian merchants using pesos while stablecoins like USDT settle the transactions in the background.

This integration resulted in 5.4 million downloads of crypto applications in Argentina during 2025, with January downloads reaching a peak.

Peru, which saw Bybit Pay connect with digital wallets Yape and Plin earlier in January, has emerged as one of the fastest-growing markets. The number of cryptocurrency app users doubled as interoperability regulations allowed banks and digital wallets to link. Transfers between banks and wallets exceeded 540 million transactions, representing a 120% increase year over year.

Stablecoins are central to the shift towards practical applications. Throughout the region, users depend on digital dollars for international transfers, receiving funds from platforms like PayPal, and bypassing traditional banking channels, the report highlights.