Why Latin America Might Leapfrog the U.S. in Self-Custody Adoption

Latin America has become one of the most active crypto regions in the world – not because of hype, but because of necessity. Inflation, remittances, and mobile-first financial behavior make crypto more than an asset class; they make it a lifeline. And as major players shift toward fully onchain experiences, the region may soon surpass the U.S. in mainstream self-custody adoption.

A Region Built for Self-Custody

Across Latin America, savings in local currency can lose value overnight. Self-custody wallets offer a way to hold stablecoins, dollar-linked assets, or crypto without relying on fragile banking systems or custodial platforms.

Latin America is one of the world’s largest remittance corridors. Crypto (especially self-custodial crypto) eliminates friction, cost, and delay, letting families receive money globally in minutes.

The region skipped the traditional desktop banking era and jumped straight into mobile finance. With the UX of self-custody improving rapidly, adoption is far easier here than in markets where legacy systems dominate.

Americans have stable banking, predictable regulations (even if crypto rules are unclear), and mature credit systems. Crypto is mostly seen as an investment, not an economic necessity. Without urgency, the transition to self-custody is slower.

Bitso as a Signal: Onchain Goes Mainstream

Bitso, Latin America’s largest crypto platform, recently unveiled a major onchain expansion that reflects the region’s shift.

Bitso is moving from spot-only onchain activity to a full self-custody trading environment, giving users advanced tools without giving up control of their assets.

Launching early 2026, the Perps Aggregator will let traders deposit once and trade across multiple perp venues, use one unified USDC balance, get best-execution routing, and earn multiple points at once, among other things.

It brings CEX-level smoothness to a non-custodial world, exactly what LATAM users need to transition fully onchain.

Bitso’s upcoming token and its Season 0 points program are designed to reward long-term participation and onboard millions into the onchain ecosystem.

As infrastructure improves – near-zero gas, smart routing, seamless cross-chain swaps – self-custody is no longer a technical challenge. For Latin Americans, it solves real-world problems in ways traditional finance cannot. This might be the first region where the majority of users skip centralized platforms entirely and move directly into permissionless finance.

While the U.S. debates regulations and treats crypto as a speculative asset class, Latin America is adopting onchain tools for everyday survival. Platforms like Bitso are accelerating this shift, transforming crypto from an investment into an economic operating system.

If the momentum continues, Latin America won’t just catch up to the U.S. in self-custody adoption – it will pass it.