In September BitPagos acquired the bitcoin exchange Unisend Argentina. CoinFox reached out to Sebastian Serrano, the co-founder and CEO of BitPagos, to learn about current position of the company and its future plans.
CoinFox: Do I understand it right that with the acquisition of Unisend you established a quasi-monopoly on Argentinian peso / bitcoin exchange? Does it mean control over one of the fastest-growing bitcoin economies in Latin America?
Sebastian Serrano: I wouldn't say we've established a monopoly or anything like it. With the acquisition of Unisend and the birth of Ripio Exchange we've expanded our group of services, we've grown our client's base exponentially and we've strenghtened our brand settling it as a major player in local bitcoin trading, which indeed has the fastest-growing bitcoin economy in Latin America.
CoinFox: What is bitcoin for you? Why did you start working with bitcoin?
Sebastian Serrano: Well, I started programming at a very early age and eventually I lead my own development team working for high-profile clients, such as US and LatAm tech-startups. In this environment, Bitcoin showed up as a natural aftermath: at first, I was very much into the technical aspect of cryptocurrency, but soon I understood the revolutionary impact Bitcoin can have within society.
CoinFox: Are you happy with the pace of Bitcoin development in Latin America? What would you consider most helpful / detrimental for bitcoin adoption in the region?
Sebastian Serrano: I'm excited with the Bitcoin potential throughout Latin American economies. In these countries, people and businesses have found a great alternative in Bitcoin trading. Remittances, for example, are really easy and effective to carry out with digital cash.
The well-known economic mishaps in the region are a powerful agent of change too, but it would take a too-long explanation to describe the whole scenario. The only obstacle for Bitcoin adoption is fully awareness and knowledge, but time will do the talking.
CoinFox: What is the situation with bitcoin regulation in Latin American countries?
Sebastian Serrano: In Argentina, for example, Bitcoin is not being regulated at the moment. The government has only released a brief statement describing Bitcoin in order to make people aware of how the technology works.
CoinFox: What are your plans for development in the near future?
Sebastian Serrano: I hope for the Bitcoin technology to become the global currency for end users and business alike. That would be the brightest of futures. As for BitPagos, we hope to grow our base of clients and strengthen our position as the best bitcoin payment processing service in the region.
Alexey Tereshchenko
