LatAm crypto wrap: Lulubit and Towerbank expand as Visa pushes stablecoin payments

Latin America's crypto scene continues to evolve, with new products and regional expansions highlighting its rapid growth.

This week, Panama-based fintech Lulubit revealed plans to expand into Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

Already operating in Panama, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, the company aims to ease remittance costs and broaden crypto accessibility.

Founded by Ianir Sonis, Lulubit bridges traditional banking and crypto, enabling users to buy and sell digital assets directly via local bank accounts.

Its platform helps lower cross-border remittance fees, which can reach 6% in countries like Guatemala, by using stablecoins and blockchain rails, boosting family incomes.

Sonis describes Lulubit as a "2.5" company: a hybrid of Web2 and Web3 that offers flexible financial tools for Latin America’s growing population of remote workers and crypto-savvy youth.

Towerbank launches Ikigii wallet in Panama

At Panama Blockchain Week, Towerbank introduced Ikigii, a digital wallet that merges US dollar accounts and crypto access in one interface.

According to Johan Hernández, head of Towerbank’s crypto unit, Ikigii was designed in response to rising crypto activity.

The bank chose to embrace this demand by becoming one of the region’s first crypto-friendly financial institutions.

Ikigii allows users to seamlessly manage and liquidate crypto assets into fiat, giving customers real-time control over both types of funds.

While its initial rollout focuses on Panama, Towerbank has regional ambitions—especially in countries with unstable currencies—aiming to offer broader access to modern financial tools.

Visa partners with Bridge to boost stablecoin spending

In another major move, Visa announced a partnership with Bridge, a stablecoin payments infrastructure provider owned by Stripe, to roll out stablecoin-enabled Visa cards across Latin America.

These cards will allow users to spend stablecoins for everyday purchases, with transactions instantly converted into local currencies at any Visa-accepting merchant.

The program is set to launch in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Chile.

For developers in the region, the partnership opens up new possibilities to integrate crypto payments into existing platforms.

With US lawmakers advancing stablecoin legislation, this collaboration could signal the start of more mainstream adoption of crypto in traditional finance systems worldwide.