He discusses crypto adoption in the region, cross-border payments, and the need for tailored financial regulation. Additionally, we explore how cryptocurrencies are driving financial inclusion while tackling challenges such as high volatility and the integration of artificial intelligence.
Juanjo Gómez, Head of Marketing at Coinscrap Finance, kicked off the podcast by inviting Julián to share his journey to becoming Senior Director at Bitso. Julián explained how his Political Science studies played a significant role in his entry into the crypto world.
While pursuing a master’s degree in the U.S. in 2015, he needed to convert his Argentine pesos into dollars, and his classmates introduced him to Bitcoin. “I started going down what they call the Rabbit Hole, devouring information about cryptocurrencies and blockchain.”
Julián Colombo,“The mobile phone is the greatest financial inclusion revolution we’ve seen in recent years.”
Senior Director Bitso South America.
The crypto-assets sector emerged as the perfect solution for his needs. This new decentralized payment system fascinated him so much that he decided to embark on a new professional chapter focused on financial regulation across Latin America.
It was then that the Bitso team invited him to join their global project from Argentina. Julián started in 2021 as Head of Policy and, within just two years, became Senior Director for the region. Today, Bitso is the undisputed leader in LatAm for digital and traditional currency exchange between users.
What is the crypto world and how is it transforming digital transactions?
The executive explains that the traditional way of transferring economic value within the global financial system is by using each country’s currency. Central banks guarantee the value printed on these currencies. With the emergence of cryptocurrencies, value is no longer tied to a formal entity but instead relies on open-source blockchain technology.
The exchange of these digital assets happens directly between users using encryption to ensure transaction security. Moreover, ownership is highly protected, and it’s impossible to create additional copies. “No one owns this financial system, and the main advantage is that crypto gives people complete freedom to do what they want with their money,” Julián stated.
Cross-border payments: A new paradigm for the modern economy
Our CMO noted that Fintech companies are positioning themselves as transformative agents and catalysts of change. Julián agreed and emphasized the need for traditional banks and regulators to take action to promote controlled adoption of these innovations by the wider public.
“We are reaching the inflection point between traditional finance and new finance.” Julián argued that banks will serve as the bridge facilitating the transition toward a more equitable economy driven by the power of people. He cited examples like Mercado Pago, a Fintech company now with a banking license, and Nubank, a neobank with over 100 million customers.
Both platforms offer cryptocurrencies to users through their apps, enabling simple buying, selling, transferring, and receiving of digital assets. In Argentina, regulation is very strict and prohibits traditional banks from engaging in such transactions, but “sooner or later, this will change. Banks are already having conversations with various crypto companies to join this ecosystem,” Julián assured.
The bridge between traditional currencies and crypto assets
Juanjo then paused to ask Julián about his company. Julián explained that the platform recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, having been founded in Mexico. “It’s a channel for accessing the crypto world directly from the Mexican peso,” as reflected in the company’s name (Bitcoin + peso = Bitso). “This was something very complex back in 2015.”
They offer businesses and individuals frictionless access to crypto assets tailored to their needs. Cross-border payments, in particular, are a daily necessity for many companies. Bitso provides a wide range of API-based services to meet this and other use cases.
Nowadays, it is costly for companies to open branches in other countries. “We offer them the ability to make payments in the local currency without opening a bank account,” Julián explained. In this way, businesses can pay their employees from their home country without additional worries.
Cryptocurrencies as a hedge against macroeconomic uncertainty
Following the crypto winter, Bitcoin has surged again, and our Marketing Lead sought Julián’s perspective on the role of macroeconomics in such a volatile sector. “There are stable coins closely tied to the value of the dollar, providing extra security as they are not market-dependent. In economies like Argentina’s, where we’ve faced triple-digit inflation for over two years, this is a lifeline for the population.”
This has made Latin America one of the most active regions globally in cryptocurrency usage. Recently, election-related uncertainty caused the Mexican peso to depreciate to historic lows. Instant dollarization offers a way to block such unwanted macro effects. “Once people start with stablecoins, the natural next step is to explore other cryptocurrencies. That’s the path for most of our clients,” Julián said.
💡 Julián Colombo said…
“The algorithms behind our company make it very easy to build a customer’s credit profile without needing to know their tax payments or salary slips.”
The Second Crypto Landscape Report in Latin America
“Recently, we learned that 8 out of 10 people in LatAm have never engaged with the crypto world,” Julián noted. Now is the time to communicate its enormous value proposition and help people expand their crypto portfolios. Both Juanjo and Julián agreed on the sector’s potential to enhance financial inclusion.
“The Fintech world broke down many barriers and made financial services more accessible.” Cryptocurrencies serve as an emergency savings fund for many households, offering enough economic relief to consider taking out personal loans or obtaining credit cards.
“The algorithms behind our company make it very easy to build a customer’s credit profile without needing to know their tax payments or salary slips,” Julián explained. Many individuals are excluded from traditional systems, so it’s necessary to predict their future financial behavior. Technology plays a key role here.
“Connectivity is essential for boosting financial inclusion.”
Post-pandemic, banking digitalization became a necessity, and we are still discovering the potential of that transformation. Operating through a bank’s digital platform, anytime, with real-time financial alerts, has become a reality that improves financial health.
This is especially important in countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia, with vast territories and dispersed populations lacking access to physical branches. “The mobile phone is the greatest financial inclusion revolution we’ve seen in recent years,” affirmed Bitso South America Senior Director.
Major challenges of tokenization and future prospects
Over the past 10 years, their biggest challenges have been cryptocurrency price volatility and the lengthy path toward regulating an activity still largely unknown to traditional institutions. These challenges often require significant time and financial investments, but the satisfaction of a job well done and the trust of their clients are the greatest rewards for Julián.
Juanjo was curious about the impact of generative AI on the sector. “We’re now seeing AI agents that look like real people, have their own accounts on X, create projects, and mine new cryptocurrencies —some even make billions—.” The C-Level believes that automating crypto trading is key to the sector’s future. Algorithms excel at automating repetitive tasks and performing complex analyses.
We encourage you to watch the full video or listen to the podcast to learn where this booming sector is headed! We thank Julián Colombo for his time and recommend following us on social media to avoid missing the next episode of The Fintech Podcast.
Thanks for being there!