Crypto as a Financial Infrastructure Solution for Emerging Markets: Unlocking Opportunities in Crypto-Native Tools

The global financial system is at a critical juncture. For decades, low- and middle-income economies have grappled with systemic challenges: underbanked populations, currency volatility, and restrictive capital controls. Meanwhile, blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are reshaping the narrative, offering a decentralized alternative that bypasses traditional barriers. As emerging markets increasingly adopt crypto-native tools, the stage is set for a seismic shift in financial infrastructure. This article explores how crypto is addressing these challenges and identifies high-conviction investment opportunities in the tools and infrastructure driving this transformation.

CZ's Vision: Borderless Finance for Developing Economies

At Binance Blockchain Week 2025 in Dubai, Changpeng Zhao (CZ) underscored the transformative potential of blockchain in emerging markets. In a heated debate with Peter Schiff, CZ argued that Bitcoin's borderless, programmable, and censorship-resistant properties make it an ideal solution for regions like Africa, where access to traditional banking remains limited according to the report. He contrasted this with tokenized gold, which, while innovative, lacks the same utility for everyday financial inclusion. CZ's remarks align with Binance's broader mission to build infrastructure that empowers the unbanked, emphasizing that crypto can serve as both a store of value and a medium of exchange in markets where fiat currencies are unstable.

This vision is not theoretical. In regions with weak financial systems, crypto provides a lifeline-enabling cross-border remittances, preserving wealth against inflation, and offering a censorship-resistant alternative to state-controlled money. For investors, this signals a clear opportunity: supporting tools and protocols that scale these capabilities in underserved regions.

Latin America's Crypto Surge: A Case Study in Adoption

The Chainalysis 2025 Latin American cryptocurrency adoption report paints a vivid picture of crypto's growing role in emerging markets. Between July 2022 and June 2025, the region recorded nearly $1.5 trillion in crypto transaction volume, with Brazil alone accounting for $318.8 billion in value received. This surge is driven by macroeconomic pain points: persistent inflation, currency devaluation, and capital controls that stifle economic mobility.

Stablecoins have emerged as a cornerstone of this adoption. Over 90% of Brazilian crypto flows are now stablecoin-related, as users hedge against the volatile real and facilitate low-cost cross-border transactions. Centralized exchanges (CEXs) dominate the ecosystem, with platforms like Mercado Bitcoin and Bitso acting as critical on-ramps. Institutional participation is also rising, spurred by regulatory clarity in Brazil's 2022/2023 Virtual Assets Law (BVAL).

For investors, Latin America's trajectory highlights a key insight: crypto adoption in emerging markets is not a niche trend but a systemic response to real-world financial challenges. The infrastructure supporting this growth-CEXs, stablecoin platforms, and fiat on-ramps-represents a fertile ground for investment.

Binance's Strategic Investments: Building Secure, Scalable Infrastructure

Binance's 2025 strategic investments underscore the importance of security and compliance in emerging markets. The exchange's acquisition of a global license under Abu Dhabi's ADGM regulatory framework marks a landmark achievement, enabling Binance to operate a fully licensed exchange, clearing house, and broker-dealer according to reports. This move not only strengthens Binance's compliance framework but also positions Abu Dhabi as a hub for digital-asset innovation.

Simultaneously, Binance YZi Labs (formerly Binance Labs) has certified 31 investment projects in 2025, spanning derivatives DEXs, payments solutions, and other infrastructure tools according to data. These projects are designed to address gaps in emerging markets, where trust in traditional institutions is low.

A standout example is OneKey, an open-source hardware wallet recently backed by YZi Labs. With $150 million in Series B funding, OneKey is pioneering secure self-custody solutions, a critical need in regions where digital literacy and security risks are high. By democratizing access to secure storage, OneKey and similar tools are laying the groundwork for mass adoption.

Investment Opportunities: Where to Allocate Capital

The convergence of demand, innovation, and regulatory progress in emerging markets points to several high-conviction investment opportunities:

1. Secure Self-Custody Tools: Hardware wallets like OneKey are essential for building trust in crypto. As adoption grows, so will the need for user-friendly, secure storage solutions.
2. CEXs with Local On-Ramps: Platforms like Mercado Bitcoin and Bitso are bridging the gap between fiat and crypto. Their role in facilitating remittances and stablecoin adoption makes them attractive long-term plays.
3. Regulatory-Compliant Infrastructure: Projects that align with emerging market regulations-such as Binance's ADGM-licensed entities-offer a scalable path to institutional adoption.
4. Stablecoin Protocols: With over 90% of Brazilian flows tied to stablecoins, protocols that enable low-cost, high-liquidity stablecoin ecosystems will be critical.

Conclusion: The Future of Finance is Borderless

Crypto is not just a speculative asset-it is a foundational infrastructure layer for emerging markets. From CZ's advocacy for Bitcoin's utility to Chainalysis's data on Latin American adoption, the evidence is clear: blockchain is solving real-world problems at scale. Binance's investments in secure tools and compliant infrastructure further validate this trend.

For investors, the path forward is to back the tools and protocols that empower financial inclusion. The next decade will belong to those who recognize that the future of finance is not built on borders, but on code.