In countries where the local currency loses value almost daily, Bitcoin, stablecoins, and other digital assets are no longer speculative toys for tech enthusiasts; they have become essential financial survival tools. As central banks struggle with runaway inflation, capital controls, and collapsing trust in fiat money, millions of ordinary citizens have turned to crypto to protect their savings, receive remittances, and conduct everyday commerce.
Argentina stands as the most dramatic example. With cumulative inflation exceeding 1,000 % since 2020 and monthly rates often topping 10 % in 2025, the Argentine peso has lost more than 90 % of its purchasing power in five years. Between July 2024 and June 2025, Argentines transacted $93.9 billion in cryptocurrencies - the second-highest volume in Latin America after Brazil.
Peer-to-peer platforms and local stablecoin trading desks report that an estimated 12–15 % of the adult population now owns some form of digital asset, while USDT and USDC have effectively replaced the U.S. dollar cash that was previously hoarded under mattresses.
Neighboring Venezuela, still recovering from hyperinflation that peaked at over 1,000,000 % in 2018, recorded $44.6 billion in crypto transactions over the same 12-month period, placing it fourth in the region.
Despite chronic electricity blackouts and government hostility toward decentralized platforms, Venezuelans continue to rely on Bitcoin and Dash for remittances and small business payments. The state itself paradoxically runs Petro-based operations and has licensed several crypto exchanges to capture hard-currency inflows.
Turkey presents a similar story in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The Turkish lira lost roughly 80 % of its value against the dollar between 2020 and 2025. In response, Turkish citizens executed approximately $200 billion in digital-asset transactions in the past year - the highest figure in the entire MENA region.
Local exchanges such as Paribu and BtcTurk routinely rank among the top 20 globally by volume, and premium (the extra price locals pay to acquire USDT or BTC over the official exchange rate) regularly spikes to 15–25 % during currency crashes.
Further south, Nigeria continues to dominate the African continent with $92.1 billion in annual crypto transactions. Mobile-first platforms like Binance, Busha, and Yellow Card have become de-facto banking alternatives for the country’s 200 million people, especially the 40 % who remain unbanked.
The Nigerian naira’s multiple devaluations since 2023 have pushed adoption rates higher: surveys now indicate that over 33 % of Nigerian internet users own cryptocurrency, the highest penetration rate on the continent.
Even in countries with outright bans or severe restrictions, crypto finds a way. Bolivia, which prohibited Bitcoin and stablecoins in 2014, saw $14.8 billion in digital-asset transactions in the last measured year - more than 35 % of its official GDP - almost entirely through informal peer-to-peer networks and Telegram groups.
Iran, facing international sanctions and acute shortages of hard currency, is on track to exceed last year’s volumes despite rolling internet blackouts and mining crackdowns during power shortages.
These numbers tell a consistent story: when traditional money fails, people migrate to the hardest, most censorship-resistant forms of value they can access.
Stablecoins pegged to the U.S. dollar dominate day-to-day use because they offer the stability that local currencies no longer provide, while Bitcoin serves as a long-term store of value for those who fear even the dollar will eventually inflate away.
Remittances are a major driver. In 2024–2025, sending money home via Western Union or banks often cost 8–15 % in fees plus unfavorable exchange rates. Crypto remittances, by contrast, frequently settle under 1 % and deliver spendable funds within minutes. In countries like Nigeria, El Salvador (despite its unique Bitcoin-legal-tender status), and the Philippines, this cost difference translates into billions of dollars retained by families each year.
Also read:
- S&P Global Downgrades Tether to “Weak” (5), Citing Lack of Transparency and Riskier Reserve Mix
- Nassim Taleb’s Grim Theorem: Why Large States Are Structurally Addicted to War
- Bitcoin's Fall from Grace: Paul Krugman's Warning on Crypto's Dark Alliance with Trumpism
The trend has forced regulators to adapt. Argentina’s newly elected administration has removed capital controls and is drafting crypto-friendly legislation. Turkey’s central bank, after years of hostility, launched a digital lira pilot and now allows licensed exchanges to operate under strict reporting rules. Nigeria lifted its 2021 banking ban on crypto entities and is preparing a regulatory framework for 2026.
For millions across the Global South, cryptocurrencies are no longer an investment thesis; they are the difference between preserving a month’s salary and watching it evaporate in weeks. As long as monetary instability persists - and in many of these nations it shows no sign of abating - digital assets will remain not just an alternative, but in many cases the only reliable form of money available to ordinary people.
Author: Slava Vasipenok
Founder and CEO of QUASA (quasa.io) — the world's first remote work platform with payments in cryptocurrency.
Innovative entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in IT, fintech, and blockchain. Specializes in decentralized solutions for freelancing, helping to overcome the barriers of traditional finance, especially in developing regions.
This is not financial or investment advice. Always do your own research (DYOR).
