Tokenization Could Unlock Capital in Latin America
Bitfinex Securities says tokenization could help address the systemic inefficiencies in Latin American capital markets and boost investment and capital flow in the region. According to its Market Inclusion report, issues such as high fees, complex regulations, technological barriers, and steep startup costs are creating what it calls “liquidity latency,” slowing market activity.
Tokenization can solve Latin America’s liquidity latency
The report argues that adopting real-world asset tokenization—where financial and tangible assets are minted onto a blockchain—could expand investor access and trading opportunities. Bitfinex noted that tokenized financial products can reduce issuance costs for capital raises by up to 4% and cut listing times by as much as 90 days.
“Tokenisation represents the first genuine opportunity in generations to rethink finance,” said Jesse Knutson, head of operations at Bitfinex Securities. “It lowers costs, accelerates access, and creates a more direct connection between issuers and investors.”
Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether and chief technology officer of Bitfinex Securities, added that tokenized products could help developing economies by improving capital access.
“For decades, businesses and individuals, particularly in emerging economies and industries, have struggled to access capital through legacy markets and organisations,” he said. “Tokenisation actively removes these barriers.” He emphasized that tokenization could unlock capital more efficiently while offering investors higher-yielding, regulated products.
Growing institutional and regional momentum for tokenized assets
Bitfinex was the first platform to obtain a digital asset service provider license under El Salvador’s Digital Assets Issuance Law, which enabled it to issue and support secondary trading of tokenized assets. Among the first were tokenized U.S. Treasury bills, aimed at allowing “literally anyone to hedge their savings against the world’s reserve currency.”
Global consulting firms see tokenization as a multi-trillion-dollar market. McKinsey projects that tokenized securities alone could reach a value of $1.8 trillion in a base scenario and $3 trillion in a bull case by 2030.
Meanwhile, Latin Americans are increasingly turning to cryptocurrencies and stablecoins for financial stability. Stablecoins such as USDC and USDT became a “store of value” in the region, making up 39% of total purchases on Bitso in 2024, according to the exchange’s Latin America Crypto Landscape report.
Sources:
https://cointelegraph.com/news/tokenization-adoption-drive-investment-latam-regions
https://blog.bitso.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/110325_FINAL-FINAL-INFORME_BITSO_ingles.pdf