Argentine cryptocurrency exchange Ripio is significantly increasing its focus on stablecoins pegged to local currencies and tokenized bonds, despite a cautious outlook for the broader crypto market in 2026. CEO Sebastián Serrano anticipates a "sideways or sluggish" trend for the overall crypto market in 2026 but expects stablecoins to experience a decade of sustained growth.
Founded in 2013, Ripio has evolved from a retail exchange to a B2B infrastructure provider, now serving banks, fintech companies, and major platforms like Mercado Libre. The company has already launched Criptodólar (UXD), a dollar stablecoin, and several stablecoins pegged to local currencies, including wARS (Argentine Peso), wBRL (Brazilian Real), and wMXN (Mexican Peso). In addition, Ripio has launched a tokenized version of Argentina's most actively traded sovereign bond, AL30. According to Serrano, during the week of Argentina's October 2025 general election, the trading volume of this bond token surpassed 1 million units.
Ripio's commitment to the Argentine peso is highlighted by the launch of wARS, a stablecoin designed to facilitate cross-border payments. Ripio's wARS is available on Ethereum, Base, and World Chain networks, enabling users to conduct global transactions without relying on traditional banking systems or US dollar conversions. This initiative occurs even as the Argentine government has managed to reduce the inflation rate from 292% in April of the previous year to 31.8%. Ripio intends to introduce stablecoins pegged to other Latin American currencies to further promote cross-border payments within the region.
Stablecoins have become a vital store of value in countries with high inflation, such as Argentina and Brazil. Argentina and Brazil lead the use of stablecoins with participations of 61.8% and 59.8% respectively, which is above the global average of 44.7%. The launch of wARS follows Ripio's prior efforts to tokenize sovereign bonds, with the goal of integrating real-world assets like fiat currencies and securities onto the blockchain, driving wider blockchain adoption.
According to the World Economic Forum, the stablecoin market moved over $27 trillion in 2024, exceeding the combined annual volume of Visa and Mastercard. Ripio's CEO Sebastián Serrano stated that the launch of local stablecoins, starting with wARS, sets a new standard for payments, remittances, and blockchain services, utilizing currencies that are part of everyday life for millions of people. These stablecoins will primarily be used for digital payments, including QR code payments, cross-border transactions between businesses and individuals, and yield generation within the crypto ecosystem. These functionalities enable users to operate stably and efficiently without depending exclusively on dollar-based stablecoins.
