Latin America Boosts SME Credit as Remittances Decline

This week in finance news, Latin America’s digital transformation gained momentum as new stablecoin-powered payment rails, open finance infrastructure and SME credit initiatives reshaped the region’s financial architecture. Mexico advanced its digital inclusion and security agenda, even as trust remains a critical hurdle in the shift away from cash.

Meanwhile, remittances posted a rare decline and back-office modernization emerged as a strategic imperative, signaling that the next phase of growth will depend as much on operational strength as on front-end innovation.

More news below:

Jeeves Launches Stablecoin Payments for Latin American Businesses

Jeeves launched Jeeves Instant Pay and the first stablecoin-backed corporate card specifically designed for Latin American businesses with operations in the United States. This new financial infrastructure enables corporations in 191 countries to open accounts and settle international payments within minutes using digital asset rails.

Mexico Advances SME Credit, Digital Security Agenda

Mexico’s financial authorities and fintech leaders are intensifying regulatory coordination and digital security efforts to close persistent inclusion gaps, as mobile banking adoption reached 69% in 2024. The push is anchored in Plan México, which targets a 30% sustainable credit access rate for SMEs through a MX$4 billion development fund and expanded interoperability across the 6 billion digital transactions processed annually via Banco de México’s infrastructure.

Mexico Digital Payments Push Hinges on Trust

Mexico’s fintech sector is stepping up infrastructure investment and cross-institutional coordination to accelerate the shift from a cash-dominant economy, where digital payments still represent just 18% of transactions and cash accounts for 82%. Led by players such as STP, Stori, and tapi, the industry is leveraging SPEI instant transfers and behavioral science-driven product design to close infrastructure gaps and build trust among unbanked users. 

Mexican Remittances Record First January Decline Since 2015

Mexican remittance inflows began 2026 with a contraction, totaling US$4.594 billion (MX$81 billion) in January, a 1.4% annual decline, according to data released by Banxico. This marks the first negative year-over-year variation for the month of January since 2015, signaling a shift in a sector that has faced mounting structural and macroeconomic headwinds over the past year.

Prometeo, Fiskil Partner to Scale Open Finance

Mexico’s transition toward a functional Open Finance ecosystem is moving from a regulatory mandate to an infrastructure-driven phase, as players such as Prometeo and Fiskil roll out API connectivity and consent-governance layers. 

LatAm Finance Faces Back-Office Turning Point

Latin America is experiencing sustained financial acceleration. Digital transactions are expanding at double-digit rates, cross-border operations are increasing, and regulatory scrutiny is intensifying. Yet behind the front-end innovation, many organizations still rely on manual spreadsheets, fragmented data, and opaque reconciliation processes to manage their finances.