Share this article
Mexican Retailer Famsa Integrates Bitcoin
Another Latin American e-tailer, Famsa, is now accepting bitcoin for online purchases.
By Grace Caffyn
Updated Sep 11, 2021, 11:56 a.m. Published Oct 13, 2015, 10:44 a.m.
UPDATE (14th October 10:26 BST): Comments added from Alberto Vega, BitPay's Regional Manager for Latin America.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Latin American e-tailer Famsa is now accepting bitcoin for online purchases.
The chain, founded in 1970, sells a variety of consumer goods and electronics across Mexico and the US. It is processing transactions via Atlanta firm BitPay.
The news follows last month's announcement from MercadoLibre – the 'eBay of Latin America' – that it would integrate bitcoin, and a deal between Mexico's BitPagos and Entrepids to allow e-commerce stores to accept the currency.
Alberto Vega, BitPay's regional manager for Latin America, told CoinDesk interest among online retailers is growing:
"It is a very exciting time for bitcoin adoption in Latin America. We are experiencing a great moment, [with] major growth since the TAR Airlines announcement a few months ago."
Although bitcoin merchant adoption is waning – with many businesses reporting "widely disappointing" sales – Latin America appears to be bucking the trend.
According to BitPay, the region saw a 510% increase in transactions from 2014 to 2015. It sees around 10% of transactions happening in Europe, the region that hosts half of BitPay's merchants.
Disclaimer: CoinDesk founder Shakil Khan is an investor in BitPay.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Dogecoin, PEPE rocket as much as 25% as 2026 starts with a bang for memecoins
The broader meme coin market is heating up, with CoinGecko's GMCI Meme Index showing a market value of $33.8 billion and a trading volume of $5.9 billion.
What to know:
- Dogecoin and Pepe led a significant meme coin rally, with Dogecoin rising 11% and Pepe surging 17% in a single day.
- The broader meme coin market is heating up, with CoinGecko's GMCI Meme Index showing a market value of $33.8 billion and a trading volume of $5.9 billion.
- Traders are speculating on meme coins as a high-risk, high-reward opportunity amid uneven liquidity and a lack of clear macroeconomic catalysts.
Top Stories
