Bolivia weighs adding Tether's USDT to its national payments system

Finance Bolivia weighs adding Tether's USDT to its national payments system Crypto usage has spiked in the country, with transaction volumes hitting $430 million in the year after the central bank removed restrictions in mid-2024. By Francisco Rodrigues | Edited by Nikhilesh De Jul 13, 2026, 2:47 p.m. 2 min read Make preferred on Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Make preferred on Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk) Summary Show Bolivia is evaluating a framework to integrate USDT into its national payments system as a regulated alternative to the boliviano and U.S. dollar. Crypto usage has spiked in the country, with transaction volumes hitting $430 million in the year after the central bank removed restrictions in mid-2024. Official adoption will require rigorous anti-money laundering controls because Bolivia remains on the Financial Action Task Force's grey list. Bolivia is considering adding Tether's USDT stablecoin to its national payments system, marking another step in the country's shift from banning crypto transactions to allowing regulated digital asset use. Economy Minister José Gabriel Espinoza said at a press conference on Monday that the government is evaluating whether USDT could circulate alongside the boliviano, the country’s fiat currency, and the U.S. dollar. The proposal remains under technical review and the government has not published implementation rules or granted the stablecoin legal-tender status, local news outlet La Razón reported . Officials are developing a framework for banks, digital wallets and payment providers, according to Espinoza. Any rollout would require stronger anti-money laundering controls as Bolivia remains on the Financial Action Task Force's grey list , which subjects the country to increased monitoring over shortcomings in its financial crime regime. The proposal comes amid a sharp rise in crypto adoption after Bolivia's central bank lifted restrictions on transactions in June 2024. Central bank data shows that crypto transaction volume climbed from $46.5 million in the first half of 2024 to $294 million during the same period last year. Total transaction volume rose 630% after restrictions were removed, the central bank has said. Demand has increased as businesses and consumers look for alternatives to scarce U.S. dollars in the country. Bolivia ended its long-standing fixed dollar peg and moved to a floating exchange rate earlier this year. State energy company YPFB announced plans last year to use crypto for energy imports, while Bolivia's central bank has also looked to El Salvador for help with its crypto regulatory framework. State-controlled Banco Unión and its Yasta wallet start letting customers buy USDT through EFY Finance in April for international payments and remittances. Tether Stablecoins Latest Crypto News 1 UK Treasury report on tokenization cites Ripple as convergence model 42 minutes ago 2 Tom Lee's BitMine ether holdings rise to 5.77 million tokens, or 4.8% of total supply 44 minutes ago 3 Wall Street transfer agents lobby SEC, warning that third-party tokens pose risks to market integrity 1 hour ago 4 Robinhood Chain surges into top five by DEX volume: Bernstein 1 hour ago 5 Michael Saylor’s Strategy added $467 million in cash, made no changes to bitcoin holdings 2 hours ago 6 SBI Holdings' blockchain initiative pivots to Solana for tokenization, stablecoin issuance 3 hours ago 7 BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley join UK government's tokenization taskforce 3 hours ago 8 Resurgent U.S.-Iran hostilities send bitcoin lower even as ETF flows show demand 3 hours ago 9 Profit-taking, MidEast hostilities drag crypto lower after bullish week 4 hours ago 10 Paradigm shifts vs bubbles: AI chips and bitcoin show powerful trends can still produce severe corrections 5 hours ago Latest Research Gate Leads Spot Market Share Gains as CEX Volumes Rise for First Time in Five Months Gate Leads Spot Market Share Gains as CEX Volumes Rise for First Time in Five Months CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. By CoinDesk Research 3 hours ago CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. Why it matters : CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. View Full Report More From Finance SBI Holdings' blockchain initiative pivots to Solana for tokenization, stablecoin issuance BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley join UK government's tokenization taskforce Crypto IPO market stalls as capital rotates to AI and macro uncertainty weighs