Between July 2022 and June 2025, Latin America registered $1.5 trillion in crypto transactions, with 63% year-over-year growth. In Argentina, four leading brokers have already integrated digital assets. In Brazil and Mexico, regulatory frameworks are advancing. The volume is there. The question is who captures it.
The shift is already underway
In Argentina, Balanz, Invertir Online, Invertir en Bolsa, and Bull Market added crypto to their offerings over the past two years. They didn't do it to experiment. They did it because their clients already had exposure to digital assets, but on separate platforms.
The volume was there. It was just outside the broker's offering.
Stablecoins, not speculation
More than half of crypto purchases on exchanges in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia are stablecoins, according to Chainalysis 2025 Geography of Cryptocurrency Report. These are not speculative positions. They are dollar-denominated stores of value.
In economies with currency volatility, stablecoins function as savings instruments, not risk assets. It's the same structural demand historically covered by dollar deposits or foreign-currency sovereign bonds. It just migrated on-chain.
Brokers that don't offer access to these instruments are leaving wallet share on the table.
Regulation is no longer the bottleneck
For years, the lack of clear regulatory frameworks kept brokers on the sidelines. That obstacle has disappeared. In Argentina, the CNV created the Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) registry in 2024, and major global exchanges now operate under that framework. In Brazil, the Central Bank approved the framework for custody and trading of digital assets. Mexico is advancing with licenses for financial technology institutions (ITFs) that operate crypto.
The regulatory gap closed. Legal risk dropped. What was once uncertain now has defined rules of the game.
The model is already proven
Brokers that integrated crypto didn't do it to capture a niche. They did it because their clients were already operating these assets elsewhere. Balanz, Invertir Online, Invertir en Bolsa, and Bull Market validated the model: you can offer crypto within the same platform where clients trade stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
The question is not whether it works. It's how much longer brokers that don't do it can afford to lose that portion of AUM.
The client already has crypto
5.6% of Argentinians and 7.8% of Brazilians have exposure to digital assets, according to Triple-A (2023). This is not a market to create. It's a market that already exists, distributed across exchanges, wallets, and peer-to-peer platforms.
The question is not whether the client will adopt crypto. The question is where they'll do it. If the broker doesn't offer it, they'll do it elsewhere. And when that capital migrates, it rarely comes back.
Infrastructure, not development
Integrating digital assets doesn't require a broker to build its own infrastructure. Ripio provides custody, trading, and KYC/AML onboarding APIs that connect directly to the broker's existing platform. Clients operate crypto from the same interface where they trade stocks and bonds. Liquidity, regulatory compliance, and technology are on Ripio's side.
The wallet share brokers are losing today won't recover on its own. It recovers by offering what the client is already looking for, but within the platform where they already trust.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for a broker to integrate crypto assets into their platform?
With Ripio's solutions, integration can be completed in weeks. Building from scratch, on the other hand, involves obtaining licenses like VASP, hiring specialized custody and compliance teams, developing trading systems, implementing crypto-specific AML/KYC controls, auditing security, and testing in production, and that can take between 18 and 36 months. The difference lies in whether the broker builds or connects: Ripio's custody, trading, and KYC/AML onboarding APIs are ready to integrate directly into the broker's existing platform.
Which Latin American countries have regulatory frameworks for brokers offering crypto?
Argentina has the CNV's VASP registry since 2024. Brazil approved the framework for custody and trading of digital assets through the Central Bank. Mexico is advancing with licenses for financial technology institutions (FTIs) that operate crypto.
Can a broker's clients operate crypto from the same platform?
Yes. With the integration of custody and trading APIs, clients operate crypto from the same interface where they trade stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. They don't need to open accounts on separate platforms.