Latin America collectively increased its developer share by 20% since 2018.
Even so, the continent has a consumer profile and has yet to assume a leading destination.
This article was written by Ana Belén González, founder of Ethereum Mexico and Marketing Lead at Fluid. Its work is based on promoting education, inclusion and leadership in technology to create opportunities for hundreds of people and developers in the region.
In Latin America the conversation about AI, distributed ledgers (blockchain), bitcoin and cryptocurrencies no longer revolves solely around adoption. That cycle, to a large extent, has already occurred. Today the challenge is different: how to transform that use into real infrastructure construction. The difference is fundamental: a user participates in the system, while a builder redefines it. The numbers show that the region is already in.
According to the Geography of Cryptocurrency Report 2025 According to Chainalysis, cryptocurrency adoption in Latin America grew 63% year-on-year, reaching $1.5 trillion in value received. Brazil concentrates 318.8 billion dollars—almost a third of the regional total—and appears in fifth place in the Global Crypto Adoption Index. Four Latin American countries They appear in the world top 20: Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina. In parallel, Latin America concentrates 14% of global visits to AI solutions despite having only 11% of global internet users.
The growth of the cryptocurrency ecosystem in the region was driven by specific needs: inflation, limited access to financial services and high costs in remittances. The data confirms it. In Argentina, stablecoins represent 61.8% of cryptocurrency transaction volume, above the global average of 44.7%. In Brazil, the president of the Central Bank declared that approximately 90% of the country’s transaction volume already passes through stablecoins (Chainalysis). Cryptocurrencies are no longer speculation; They are the dollar savings account of millions of Latin Americans.
Building infrastructure is as important as using it
But that growth raises a deeper question: What percentage of those users are building on top of that infrastructure? And here the second relevant piece of information appears.
According to the Developer Report From Electric Capital, Latin America, along with Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, South Asia and West Africa, has collectively increased its developer share by 20% since 2018, while the United States lost 14 points. Developers with more than two years of experience—those who write 70% of global crypto code—reached all-time highs. LATAM is going from user to code producer, but slowly and gradually in response to the size of the opportunity.
The convergence between AI and blockchain is already here. And the region already has founders moving in that field. Bitso, founded by Daniel Vogel and Pablo González, is today the largest exchange in Latin America with more than 8 million users and operations in four countries. Ripio, founded in Buenos Aires by Sebastián Serrano, operates throughout Latin America and has already expanded to Spain and the United States. Added to this list are Lemon, Buenbit, Belo, Num Finance, POAP, Mercado Bitcoin, Bando, Capa and a growing group of teams with Latin American founders building real infrastructure.
I personally know about ten successful teams in which there are Latinos in founding positions, and more than 70 Spanish-speaking collaborators working on cryptocurrency and AI companies in the region and globally. The talent already exists. It’s not a promise: it’s a reality that you’re writing code every day.
But talent and pioneers alone do not build ecosystems. Community, early financing and continuity are needed. And above all, education in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency technology is needed.
AI is speeding up that process. Code wizards, app generation, custom learning platforms – the barriers to entry to development have never been lower. A minimum viable product (MVP) that two years ago required an entire team and significant capital, today can be built in weeks with artificial intelligence, something that benefits LATAM in the development field.
The numbers also point out the asymmetry that must be closed: Latin America receives only 1.12% of global investment in AI despite representing 6.6% of world GDP (ECLAC). We use more, we build less.
In Ethereum Mexico we have seen the pattern: when people understand the technology, the next step is natural. They begin to experiment, build, and eventually generate value.
The opportunity is clear: convert current fragmentation into infrastructure. Go from “use AI or crypto” to “build with AI/Crypto.” From consuming technology to designing it.
The window is short. The opportunity to launch serious projects with AI and blockchain in Latin America is measured in months, not decades. The next waves are already taking off: increasingly complex autonomous agents operating cross-chain, decentralized identity as the default layer, robotics, biotechnology, longevity. The digital economy of the next cycle will have fewer intermediaries and more programmable infrastructure.
Because at this stage of the ecosystem, the difference is no longer made by who enters first. The brand who builds better. And LATAM could be a protagonist in the creation of infrastructure for posterity. But You must take responsibility for your destiny to materialize it.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to its author and do not necessarily reflect those of CriptoNoticias. The author’s opinion is for informational purposes and under no circumstances constitutes an investment recommendation or financial advice.