Cryptocurrencies have benefited from Argentina’s financial catastrophe, characterized by soaring inflation, a sinking currency, and a lack of available US dollars for investment.
According to a recent study, more Argentinians buy Bitcoin, Tether, Etherium, and Dai as safe havens for their rapidly dwindling retirement funds.
Private Bank is Supporting Crypto!
Customers of Banco Galicia, Argentina’s largest private bank, can now invest in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies through various “new investment alternatives.”
Users can now purchase Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), USDC, and XRP via the bank’s mobile app’s investing area, which the bank describes as a “new tool.”
Bank Galicia announced the launch of a new service that would let users buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies in a convenient, safe, and all-in-one location.
Banco Galicia confirmed the services’ activation after customers posted on Twitter about the new options on Tuesday.
Confirmado se pueden comprar cryptos en @BancoGaliciaMay 2, 2022
Banco Galicia and Lirium Collaborates
Librium, an app-based crypto product developed in Lichtenstein, is reportedly being used by Banco Galicia for digital wallets and mobile banking apps.
Martin Kopacz, CEO of Librium, revealed that Banco Galicia allows users to buy and trade Bitcoin but not withdraw or transmit it.
Reports suggest that Buenos Aires will soon allow residents to pay cryptocurrency taxes.
Kopacz said four Argentinian financial institutions are working with Lirium on plans to offer a crypto trading service, but he didn’t give an exact timetable. Aside from Brazil and Mexico, Kopacz said that Lirium is working on similar integrations.
The Significance
More than 4 million individuals and businesses use the bank’s services. It has more than 600 offices throughout the world. By the middle of this month, Kopacz said the company plans to launch the new crypto service to all its customers.
The latest collaboration between established financial institutions and startups aims to make cryptocurrency more accessible to the general public.
Crypto Adoption Continues to Grow in Argentina
According to Deel (a global payroll solutions company), more employees in Argentina are paid in bitcoin than in any other country.
The data suggest that Deel employs more people than any other country globally who are compensated in digital assets. It has grown by more than 340 percent in the last year alone, with small businesses driving crypto adoption. More and more small firms have started to pay their employees in digital assets.
The South American country has become increasingly open to using Bitcoin over the previous two years.
President Alberto Fernandez said in August 2021, when asked if Argentina would follow El Salvador’s lead in legalizing bitcoin, “I don’t want to go too far out on a limb, but there is no reason to say no.”
Since the start of this year, Argentina’s central bank has begun forming a committee to enhance digital wallet KYC standards.
However, the threat to a larger Bitcoin adoption in Argentina is still looming. As part of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the country’s recent $45 billion bailouts, the government may take a hostile position towards crypto assets.
