Bolivia is evaluating integrating Tether’s USDt into its nationwide funds system, a transfer that might mark one among Latin America’s most vital stablecoin adoption initiatives because the nation grapples with a persistent scarcity of US {dollars}.
Economic system and Public Finance Minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza instructed a press convention on Monday that the federal government is assessing a regulatory framework that might permit USDT to flow into “as simply one other foreign money,” alongside the boliviano and the US greenback.
In line with the Spanish information outlet CriptoNoticias, the framework remains to be beneath overview and, if adopted, would acknowledge USDT for on a regular basis transactions, together with funds, financial savings and commerce, with out relying completely on money or the standard banking system.
Espinoza stated any rollout would require a strong regulatory framework and robust anti-money laundering safeguards as a result of Bolivia stays on the Monetary Motion Job Drive (FATF) gray checklist, which identifies jurisdictions beneath elevated monitoring for deficiencies in stopping cash laundering and terrorist financing.
Supply: EL DEBER
The proposal is a part of Bolivia’s broader embrace of digital belongings following the lifting of its longstanding ban on cryptocurrencies in 2024. Since taking workplace in late 2025, President Rodrigo Paz Pereira’s administration has pledged to combine digital belongings into the formal monetary system, paving the best way for banks to supply crypto-related services, together with stablecoin-based accounts.
USDT is the world’s largest stablecoin, with a market capitalization exceeding $184 billion, based on CoinMarketCap.
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Greenback scarcity fuels stablecoin push
Bolivia’s stablecoin initiative comes because the nation grapples with a chronic scarcity of US {dollars}, that are broadly used alongside the nationwide foreign money, the boliviano.
As Reuters reported, Bolivia maintained an official trade charge of 6.86 bolivianos per US greenback for purchases and 6.96 for gross sales from 2011 till earlier this yr, when mounting stress on international trade reserves pressured the federal government to desert the long-standing peg. The ensuing greenback scarcity fueled the growth of a parallel international trade market, the place the greenback traded at a steep premium to the official charge.
The widening hole between the official and parallel trade charges has boosted demand for dollar-denominated alternate options, together with stablecoins comparable to USDT, which have more and more been used for funds.
Bolivia ranked extremely in Chainalysis’ 2025 analysis of crypto adoption throughout Latin America, with $14.8 billion in whole transaction quantity over a 12-month interval.
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