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Latin American Crypto Company Ripio Launches U.S. Dollar-Pegged Stablecoin

The cryptocurrency is hosted on LaChain, a recently started blockchain focused on the region.

Updated Aug 16, 2023, 3:18 p.m. Published Aug 3, 2023, 3:41 p.m.
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Latin American crypto services provider Ripio has introduced a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, in part to offer Argentinians a way of protecting their assets from inflation.

Ripio users in Argentina, where annual inflation is running at 115%, are already able to purchase the UXD stablecoin, also called Criptodólar, the company said Thursday. The stablecoin, which is also available in Brazil, is hosted on LaChain, a Latin America-focused layer 1 blockchain launched in June by Ripio in collaboration with SenseiNode, Num Finance, Cedalio and Buenbit, among others.

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In June, Ripio CEO Sebastian Serrano told CoinDeskTV that despite the bearish crypto context, the use of stablecoins in Latin America is growing and becoming more common.

“In response to the complex economic situation facing Latin America, in particular Argentina, we have created Criptodólar: an innovative solution to help individuals combat inflation and protect their assets,” Serrano said in a statement, adding that the company plans to incorporate UXD to its Ripio Card.

Ripio was founded in Argentina and also now operates in Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, the U.S. and Spain, where it recently obtained approval to operate as a crypto exchange. The company has 8 million users and transacts $200 million a month.

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

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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.

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Buck launches bitcoin-linked ‘savings coin’ tied to Michael Saylor’s Strategy

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The new governance token targets a roughly 7% annual yield funded by income from Strategy’s bitcoin-linked preferred stock.

What to know:

  • Buck Labs has launched the Buck crypto token, designed as a yield-bearing savings coin for users seeking returns on dollar-denominated crypto holdings.
  • The token is backed by Strategy shares and offers rewards targeted at around 7% annually, with returns accruing minute-by-minute.
  • Buck is structured as a governance token, allowing holders to vote on reward distribution, and is initially intended for non-U.S. users.