Bolivia’s Economy Minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza announced the government’s intention to integrate crypto assets and stablecoins into the nation’s formal financial system. This move will allow domestic banks to custody digital assets on behalf of clients, enabling their use for products such as savings accounts, credit, and loans. This policy reversal comes after the country’s central bank lifted a long-standing ban on virtual assets in 2024.
The decision is driven by the country’s need to stabilize its economy against persistent high inflation and shortages of the US dollar. Espinoza noted that since crypto cannot be globally controlled, it must be strategically recognized and used to the country’s advantage. High inflation rates, which averaged above 22% in the 12 months to October, have already prompted some Bolivian businesses and residents to adopt dollar-pegged stablecoins like USDT as a medium of exchange and a store of value.
This policy places Bolivia in a growing group of nations in Latin America and emerging markets that are turning to digital assets to bypass local currency controls and overcome dollar scarcity.
