For the first time, six Latin American countries have access to a digital payment instrument denominated in their own local currency. Twin, a stablecoin infrastructure company focused on Latin America, has issued and deployed six stablecoins in local currency, all live on Base blockchain and operational today: ARGt (Argentine peso), BRAt (Brazilian real), COLt (Colombian peso), MEXt (Mexican peso), CHLt (Chilean peso), and BOLt (Bolivian boliviano).
Belo, one of Latin America's leading digital finance apps, is the first platform to integrate them and make them available to end users across the region.
What are stablecoins in local currency?
A stablecoin in local currency is a digital payment instrument whose value is pegged 1:1 to a specific national currency, such as the Argentine peso or the Brazilian real. Unlike dollar-denominated stablecoins such as USDC or USDT, local-currency stablecoins allow value to move onchain without requiring conversion to or from USD at any point in the transaction.
Twin's stablecoins in local currency are issued on Base, an EVM-compatible blockchain. Each token is designed as a payment instrument: it can be used for transfers, settlement, payroll, and cross-border payments, all denominated in the currency of the market where the transaction takes place.
Why has the stablecoin market been dollar dominated?
As of early 2025, USD denominated stablecoins represent over 98% of total global stablecoin supply. USDC and USDT together account for the vast majority of that figure. Dollar stablecoins emerged as a practical solution for crypto markets that needed a stable unit of account: the dollar was the natural choice given its role as the global reserve currency.
That logic works well for global crypto trading. It works less well for the operational reality of businesses in Latin America, where revenues, payroll, supplier contracts, and most day-to-day transactions occur in local currency. Using dollar stablecoins in that context requires converting twice: once to move value onchain, and once to convert back to local currency at the destination. Each conversion introduces a spread, a delay, and FX exposure unrelated to the underlying transaction.
What changes with stablecoins in local currency for Latin America?
Stablecoins in local currency remove the dollar conversion layer from regional payments. A company in Colombia paying a supplier in Brazil can settle in BRAt without touching USD. A fintech in Mexico can run payroll in MEXt on a Sunday with the same settlement finality as any other day of the week. A business operating across multiple Latin American countries can manage regional treasury operations from a single onchain infrastructure layer.
Settlement is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no banking hours, no weekend cutoffs, and no multi-day clearing windows. This is a structural difference from traditional local currency transfers, which in many Latin American markets can take 24 to 48 hours to settle and are unavailable outside banking hours.
Which stablecoins in local currency are now available in Latin America?
Twin has issued six stablecoins in local currency for Latin America:
- ARGt: Argentine peso stablecoin
- BRAt: Brazilian real stablecoin
- COLt: Colombian peso stablecoin
- MEXt: Mexican peso stablecoin
- CHLt: Chilean peso stablecoin
- BOLt: Bolivian boliviano stablecoin
The rollout through Belo is progressive. ARGt and BRAt are already available to all users across the region. COLt, MEXt, CHLt, and BOLt are each live in their home country today: COLt in Colombia, MEXt in Mexico, CHLt in Chile, and BOLt in Bolivia. All six tokens will be accessible across all of Latin America shortly.
A first for Bolivia and Chile
BOLt and CHLt are not incremental additions to an existing market. Before these issuances, there was no local-currency stablecoin with meaningful scale operating in Bolivia or Chile. This is new financial infrastructure, not an improvement on what existed before. For institutions and fintechs evaluating the regional payments landscape, that distinction matters: it means these markets now have a settlement option that was simply unavailable until now.
Practical use cases for finance and treasury teams
Local currency stablecoins in Latin America open specific operational capabilities for companies that manage regional payments and treasury:
- Cross-border payments in Latin America without USD as a bridge currency: transactions between countries can settle directly in local currency on both sides.
- Same-day payroll and supplier settlement in local currency: any day of the week, including weekends and holidays.
- Regional treasury management: across multiple Latin American currencies from a single onchain infrastructure layer.
- Integration with Real Time Payment systems and local fiat on/off-ramps in each market.
Frequently asked questions
What is a local-currency stablecoin?
A local currency stablecoin is a digital payment instrument pegged 1:1 to a specific national currency. It allows value to move onchain in that currency without conversion to USD or any other intermediate currency. Twin issues local currency stablecoins for six Latin American currencies: the Argentine peso (ARGt), Brazilian real (BRAt), Colombian peso (COLt), Mexican peso (MEXt), Chilean peso (CHLt), and Bolivian boliviano (BOLt).
Who can use Twin's local-currency stablecoins?
Twin's tokens are available through integrated platforms. Belo is the first integrator to offer them to end users across Latin America. Additional integrations are underway for institutions and fintechs operating in the region.
Are Twin's stablecoins investment products?
No. Twin's stablecoins are digital payment instruments, not investment products or securities. They are designed for payments, transfers, and settlement. They do not generate yield or returns for holders.
To learn more about Twin's stablecoin network or explore integration options, contact us.