Ripio Unveils Argentine Peso Stablecoin ‘wARS’ as Tokenization Drive Expands
Latin American crypto exchange Ripio has introduced a new stablecoin pegged to the Argentine peso, extending its push to bring traditional financial assets onto blockchain networks.
The new token, called wARS, is available on Ethereum, Coinbase’s Base network, and World Chain, according to Argentine publication La Nación. The launch builds on Ripio’s recent release of a tokenized sovereign bond, part of a broader strategy to merge conventional financial instruments with decentralized infrastructure.
With over 25 million users, Ripio is one of the region’s largest crypto platforms. The company says wARS enables users to transfer and hold peso-backed value globally, without relying on banks or converting funds into U.S. dollars.
The stablecoin arrives as President Javier Milei’s government works to stabilize Argentina’s economy, cutting inflation from 292% in April 2024 to 31.8% today.
Ripio plans to expand the initiative by issuing similar stablecoins for other Latin American currencies, aiming to facilitate cross-border payments in local denominations — a process that currently depends heavily on the dollar and costly intermediaries.
Stablecoins are already widely adopted in Argentina and Brazil, where economic instability and currency restrictions drive demand for digital assets as a store of value and payment tool.
By launching wARS, Ripio strengthens its role in the growing movement to tokenize real-world assets (RWAs) such as sovereign bonds and fiat currencies — bringing traditional value systems into the blockchain era.
