The Rise of Localized Ramps: Stablecoin Access in Africa, LATAM, and SouthEast Asia

10 Min

July 8, 2025

Introduction

DeFi technology can cut through much of the inefficiency by presenting transactional and ownership information on a single, shared ledger, enabling trades to be settled almost instantaneously. Automating transactions with DeFi software protocols and smart contracts can generate further efficiency gains. The growing use of tokenization, which creates digital representation of real-world assets on the blockchain, can extend those benefits to the world’s vast markets for stocks, bonds, commodities, and other major assets.

Stablecoins are no longer just a crypto niche. They're already powering trillions in global payments, and they're quickly becoming the foundation of a new kind of economy that is faster, cheaper, more global, and smarter. With this blog, find out about stablecoin access in developing countries like Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America while understanding their local stablecoin infrastructure. 

How stablecoins are accessed in South East Asia

Africa has long been touted as the region that most benefits from digital assets and blockchain technology. However, activity in the region has been the lowest globally, and blockchain adoption has also failed to blow up as expected.

This is now changing, and stablecoins are at the forefront of this transformation. Africans prioritize utility over speculation, and now, with stablecoins, payments, hedging against local currency depreciation and cross-border transfers are easier and faster than ever.

Africa’s stablecoin revolution

Africa’s embrace of stablecoins didn’t happen overnight; it’s been building over the past few years. With the value of most local currencies depreciating—the naira, for instance, has lost 73% of its value against the USD over the past three years—Africans have turned to stablecoins as a hedge. Millions more have been using stablecoins to send and receive funds from overseas.

Stablecoin adoption LATAM

Latin America’s young, highly connected population and long history of political instability and currency volatility make it a natural home for the right kind of stablecoin. Latin America has high levels of intra-regional migration and a young population rapidly leaving behind its traditional, cash-based model of transacting in favor of debit cards and mobile payments. In other words, it’s one region where the case for stablecoins practically makes itself.

Consider what stablecoins are and what they have to offer. They are digital tokens with all of the portability and security of the most well-known digital assets such as BTC but without the volatility: rather than each token’s value being determined by the wild west of the market, their value is instead pegged to another more stable asset—usually some fiat currency. This peg is most commonly preserved by the stablecoin issuer maintaining a reserve fund of the pegged-fiat—such as USD—that accords with the number of their stablecoin in the market; in theory, anyone purchasing the stablecoin can be assured that is represented by an equal amount of fiat held by the issuer. That kind of asset can offer a level of stability that many of the region’s national currencies have been unable to match. Latin America is a natural stage for stablecoin adoption

The reasons for this are also what makes stablecoins such an attractive option for the local population. Latin America is built of closely interdependent but distinct economies, with most South American countries sharing land borders with more than one neighbour. With a shared history of political upheaval creating exports of refugees and other migrants, the region has a storied tradition of intraregional migration. This means a surplus of people needing to send cash across borders to stay mobile in response to an informal job market, to send wages to family back home or both.

Together, these factors make Latin America a region with plenty to gain from a stable, borderless digital asset with all of the self-sovereignty of something like Bitcoin with none of the volatility. In theory, this is the offering of stablecoins.

Stablecoins Southeast Asia

In Asia, stablecoins are gaining significant attention, prompting governments to step in with efforts to regulate the sector. While the region’s approach remains fragmented, progress is unmistakable.

Asia’s rapidly evolving stablecoin landscape, notes that different countries are taking varied approaches to stablecoin integration. While jurisdictions like Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong are actively developing regulations, others like China and India are taking a restrictive stance, favoring central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) over private stablecoins.

What’s next for stablecoins?

Stablecoins have become an integral asset class of cryptocurrencies. However, they face various integration hurdles such as regulatory scrutiny, consumer protection concerns and transparency issues.

In recent years, governments have been developing and implementing regulatory frameworks on the use of stablecoins and cryptocurrencies at large. Experts note that while patchwork and contradictory regulations can hinder the market, clear and uniform rules can help expand the use of stablecoins. 

Stablecoin payments, crypto conversions and exchange of stablecoins made easy with Transfi, click to find out more!

Conclusion

The blockchain and crypto ecosystem still remains a new technology, with limited but rapidly growing uptake, especially in the developing world as they skip a technological step. There are many reasons why adoption of this technology is growing, but largely because it fills a need that traditional fiat currencies and financial systems are struggling to meet, whether for transactions or for a store of value. As adoption continues to grow, the risk of macro instability will also increase due not only to the lack of visibility but also the lack of control by authorities over this new technology. Nevertheless, there are several ways to mitigate the rising risk, most notably through improving regulation, but also by improving external buffers and credible economic policy. Authorities face not only risks surrounding this technology, but also opportunities from the more speculative side, such as bitcoin mining all the way to central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). 

Stablecoins aren’t just a new financial product, they’re a new format for money or the new digital dollars. They keep the stability of the dollar, add the speed of the internet, and open the door to programmable finance that works across borders and time zones. Understanding them is crucial for businesses and individuals having operations globally as in the new digital economy, dollars don’t need to be printed to move. They just need a network. Platforms like TransFi are making the use of stablecoins easier than ever by providing the necessary infrastructure. By using TransFi you can make cross-border payments in real-time, at low-cost and that too in a fully compliant and secure manner. The stablecoin era is here and its adoption is must to grow in the current digital landscape.

Also read: Mapping the Stablecoin Stack: Infrastructure, Yields, and the New Digital Dollar Economy

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

  1. What are stablecoins?

A stablecoin is a digital currency pegged to a ‘stable’ value, such as the US dollar or gold. In comparison to cryptocurrencies, stablecoins have a higher potential to address volatility issues.

  1. Why is understanding the stablecoin ecosystem important?

Stablecoins are already changing how people and businesses move money. If you understand how they work, you can save time, avoid high fees, and make better financial decisions. 

  1. What is the scope of stablecoin adoption in digital payments?

More businesses are using stablecoins for everyday payments with big companies and startups choosing them to avoid delays and reduce costs. Platforms like TransFi make it easier for anyone to send and receive stablecoins, even without needing to understand all the technical details behind them.

  1. What is the role of stablecoins in the future of finance?

Stablecoins are becoming the digital version of dollars and other currencies. They move quickly, work globally, and are available 24/7. As platforms like TransFi make them easier to use, stablecoins will play a big part in how money flows across borders and through global businesses.

  1. What is the viable future for stablecoins?

In recent years, governments have been developing and implementing regulatory frameworks on the use of stablecoins and cryptocurrencies at large. While patchwork and contradictory regulations can hinder the market, clear and uniform rules can help expand the use of stablecoins. 

TransFi Team

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