Argentina’s Passion For Bitcoin Is Shown Through ‘Bitcoin Day’

Bitcoin still has more to do to “conquer” Argentina, but it will surely get there.

That much was clear a week ago at “Bitcoin Day” in Buenos Aires, which was attended by over 500 people in an event that was geared towards promoting an increasing demand for data on the technology. Organized in the center of the city’s Almagro neighborhood, the conference acted as a reminder of how the country is still the giant in the regional adoption,  notwithstanding if other developments in Latin America have gained more popularity.

For instance, CEO of cryptocurrency services firm Buda, Chile’s Guillermo Torrealba, went against his determination to gain the support of banks in Argentina and acquire experience somewhere else.

“There are even banks here that have executives that are exclusively dedicated to cryptocurrency companies,” Torrealba said. Compared with his home country, the situation, he said, is night and day.

“In Chile last week, all commercial banks have decided to close the accounts to all the cryptocurrency companies at the same time. They killed the industry,” he told reporters.

Yet still, this does not mean that it is not hopeful that other countries will follow Argentina’s trend.

In Torrealba’s view, he expects governments or judicial measures to bring to an end the obstruction, reassuring that nations such as Peru are trying out other ways, trying to monitor and understand.

“We believe that it is not long before the traditional financial industry will come looking for us in order to begin to use our infrastructure,” he added.

This might already be occurring in Argentina.

Gonzalo Blousson, CEO of digital notary startup Signatura confirmed the development made. Presently, Argentina has taken steps towards registering official bulletins on the blockchain, a progress made thanks to a vibrant local community that has for some time being evangelizing.