Nu puts its name on Messi's stadium | TWIF LatAm (03/11)

Hola amig@s fintech,

Magical realism is that particular kind of storytelling Latin America gave the world, where the impossible happens in plain sight and the strange is treated as normal.

These days, the global news cycle often feels like one of those stories. We are witnessing yet another war, and with it the unbearable consequences in human lives and suffering. We also see its ripple effects on markets and investor confidence, which rarely stay contained to the areas of conflict. The Middle East may be far from here, but instability travels, and Latin America knows this better than most.

Amid all of this, the region’s fintech ecosystem continues to expand what’s possible. Let’s dive into this week’s news.

~Vivi

Peru recorded more than 540 million interoperable transactions between banks and digital wallets in 2025, a 118% year-on-year increase, highlighting the rapid expansion of digital payments across the country.

The Inter-American Development Bank’s 2026 macroeconomic report projects Latin America and the Caribbean to grow 2.1% in 2026, slightly below 2.2% in 2025, pointing to resilience despite global uncertainty and high interest rates. The report highlights strong labor markets and easing inflation, but notes persistent constraints including weak productivity, high public debt, and limited investment. The document also points to digitalization and artificial intelligence as areas with potential to support productivity gains across the region.

Rodri Fernández, CEO of Crossmint, explains why stablecoins could reshape how global fintechs expand, allowing financial services to scale without the traditional country-by-country model. He argues that stablecoin infrastructure may fundamentally change cross-border financial services and discusses the emerging role of AI agents capable of moving money.

🇧🇷 Vitrify, the Brazilian AI-powered data platform for the private credit market, raised $190K in an angel round with participation from investors linked to Matera, Liqi, and AmFi. The company provides tools that help lenders and investors monitor and analyze private credit portfolios.

Smile, the Brazilian cross-border payments orchestration platform, acquired a 49% stake in a55, the SME credit fintech operating under a Sociedade de Crédito Direto (SCD) license. The company is seeking approval from Brazil’s Central Bank to obtain full control of a55.

🇨🇴 Banco Serfinanza, the Colombian retail bank owned by Grupo Empresarial Olímpica, acquired a 30% stake in Tpaga, the mobile wallet and digital payment solutions,  as part of its digital transformation strategy. | Product Launches & Partnerships

🇲🇽 Ualá launched access to U.S. stock trading for its Mexican users, allowing retail investors to buy shares of companies such as Apple, Netflix, and Starbucks directly through the app.

🇧🇷 XP Inc. partnered with U.S.-based Kalshi to provide Brazilian investors access to prediction markets through Clear’s international investment accounts. The move introduces event-based 

🇧🇷 Revolut expanded its product offerings in Brazil, adding credit functionality across all card tiers, launching its premium Ultra membership, and introducing access to U.S. stock trading.

🇨🇴 Revolut has initiated a customer waitlist in Colombia ahead of its projected 2026 launch, following the recent acquisition of an incorporation license from the Financial Superintendence of Colombia (SFC) to establish Revolut Bank Colombia S.A.

🇸🇻 Bitget Wallet, the self-custodial crypto wallet based in El Salvador, expanded its zero-fee crypto card across Latin America through a partnership with Immersve. The Mastercard-powered card allows users to spend USDC directly from their wallets and is rolling out in markets including Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay.

🇧🇷 Agibank launched Agibank Asset Management, a subsidiary authorized by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil (CVM), to structure credit products and provide corporate financial services. The move lays the groundwork for the bank’s planned expansion into wholesale banking.

🇧🇷 The Central Bank of Brazil opened a 90-day public consultation to update regulations for Financial Market System Operator Institutions (IOSMF), which operate critical infrastructure within the Brazilian Payment System (SPB).

🇨🇱 Tenpo has initiated the migration of its 2.5 million users to Tenpo Bank Chile following the receipt of its final operating authorization from the Financial Market Commission (CMF), marking its formal transition from a fintech to Chile’s first licensed neobank under the General Banking Law.

🇧🇷 Pismo, the cloud-native banking and payments platform owned by Visa, appointed Leonardo J. Collado as General Manager. 

🌎Yuno, the global finance infrastructure platform, appointed former Mastercard executive Mauricio Schwartzmann as Chief Banking and Financial Institutions Officer.

🇺🇸 Nu secured naming rights for Inter Miami CF’s new stadium, which will be called Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park when it opens in 2026. The deal puts the Latin American neobank’s brand on the future home of Lionel Messi’s club as it expands its presence in the U.S. sports market.infrastructure.

🇲🇽 Incode, the digital identity verification company founded in Mexico, passed iBeta Level 3 biometric PAD testing on both iOS and Android, a certification that validates resistance to spoofing attacks.

🌎 Impacto TIC highlighted 50 women leading AI in Latin America, arguing that greater visibility is essential in a field still shaped by gender gaps and biased systems. The list spans experts from academia, government, and the private sector across the region.

The fintech evolution of utilities: the challenge of transforming public services into a digital experience (ES)

In an interview, the founder of Widergy argues that utilities need to adopt fintech-style digital experiences to modernize customer service and billing. Drawing on the company’s work across seven Latin American markets, he says the region’s public service providers must rethink how they manage payments, customer interaction, and digital channels as expectations shift toward faster and more personalized service.

Cybersecurity resilience: AI and geopolitics in Mexico

An analysis warns that Mexico is entering a new cybersecurity era shaped by AI and geopolitics, pushing companies and governments to adopt digital resilience strategies such as zero-trust frameworks, AI governance, and adaptive architectures to protect critical infrastructure.

Mexico accelerates its Fintech consolidation with increased regulatory pressure, lower margins in acquiring, and a focus on fraud prevention (ES)

In an interview, a BPC executive argues that Mexico’s fintech industry is entering a consolidation phase as stronger regulatory pressure, shrinking margins in acquiring, and rising investment in fraud prevention reshape competition among fintechs, banks, and payment processors.

Made in LatAm with 🩵by 

Elena, Head of New Technologies at Afirme Financial Group

Carlos, ESG Analyst at CFECapital

Vivi, Communication expert and Principal at Areté Consulting

Feedback?  Reach out to us anytime! This week it’s Elena on read, post, and podcast of the week, funding, exists, other news and deeper reads, Carlos on policy, and product launches and partnerships, and Vivi on editing.

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