The El Salvador Stock Exchange (BVES) has become the first in Latin America to receive official authorization to trade digital assets, marking a significant milestone in the region’s financial markets.
Digital Exchange, S.A. de C.V., the newly authorized platform, grants BVES the ability to issue, manage, trade, and safeguard digital assets. This development places El Salvador at the forefront of financial innovation in Latin America.
“We are paving the way toward a digital financial ecosystem,” said Valentín Arrieta, CEO of BVES. “Digital Exchange opens doors to new financial opportunities, connecting companies, institutional clients, and individual investors with the potential of digital assets, positioning our exchange as a regional leader in innovation.”
Rolando Duarte, President of BVES, highlighted the exchange’s evolution since its establishment in 1995 as part of El Salvador’s post-conflict economic reforms. “This milestone reinforces our commitment to innovation and modernization,” Duarte stated.
The BVES noted that Digital Exchange is supported by Koibanx, a company specializing in asset tokenization and blockchain financial infrastructure. The initiative complies with the Digital Asset Issuance Law, enacted in 2022, and was developed with crucial support from the National Commission of Digital Assets (CNAD).
“Our mission is to provide market participants and both local and international investors with a transparent and accessible platform that reflects the future of global finance,” Duarte added.
According to CNAD, over $5 billion in digital asset issuances were approved in the past year, with 27 digital asset providers and four public offering certifications reported by December 2024.
This development reaffirms El Salvador’s commitment to embracing digital innovation in the financial sector, further establishing its role as a pioneer in the adoption of emerging technologies.