Many U.S. investors might view bitcoin mostly as a store of value, but in Latin America, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are emerging as useful payment methods.
Brazil's largest crypto exchange, Mercado Bitcoin, has already traded $5 billion in the first quarter of 2021 alone compared to $1.2 billion in all of 2020.
The Mexico-based company said it is now valued at $2.2 billion, making it the first cryptocurrency company in the region to exceed a value of $1 billion.