Argentina crypto exchange Lemon has launched the country’s first Visa credit card backed by Bitcoin collateral.
Lemon, Argentina’s second-largest crypto exchange, has launched the country’s first Visa credit card backed by Bitcoin BTC $67 186 24h volatility: 4.5% Market cap: $1.34 T Vol. 24h: $43.03 B collateral.
The product lets users access peso-denominated credit without a bank account, credit score, or selling BTC.
The product targets Argentina’s deep distrust of banks due to repeated peso devaluations. This pushed households toward cash dollars and, more recently, crypto as stores of value.
The exchange aims to turn long-term Bitcoin holdings into usable spending power for Argentines.
La Nación reported that Lemon, Argentina’s second-largest crypto exchange, has launched the country’s first Visa credit card backed by Bitcoin collateral. The product allows users to access peso credit without a bank account or credit history and without selling BTC, aiming to…
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) January 15, 2026
Users lock 0.01 BTC as collateral and receive a peso credit line of up to 1 million pesos. The exchange claims that the Bitcoin remains untouched and is not converted into local currency. It only serves as a backup for the credit limit.
As per a local report, the exchange plans to allow users to adjust collateral size and credit limits in the future.
Lemon is also working on dollar-denominated spending, where purchases can be settled using stablecoins such as USDC or USDT instead of pesos.
Crypto-backed lending is now widely used across major markets like the U.S. and Europe.
Several fintech firms already offer payment cards to allow users to borrow funds using Bitcoin or stablecoins as collateral.
Crypto Adoption in Argentina Goes Up
The launch comes as crypto infrastructure in Latin America is expanding fast. Data suggests that centralized exchange flows in the region rose roughly ninefold over the past three years.
Argentina is one of the fastest-growing markets in that trend and ranks second-largest in Latin America for on-chain crypto activity.
Estimates suggest nearly 20% of the population actively uses crypto in daily life.
Digital asset regulations have also shifted in Argentina. Since President Javier Milei took office in December 2023, authorities have taken a more friendly stance toward the industry.
Last year, Congress advanced a framework requiring crypto service providers to register and comply with AML rules. Meanwhile, the central bank is reviewing plans to allow banks to offer crypto services, with possible approval as early as April 2026.
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