Coinbase pauses peso fiat services in Argentina but keeps crypto trading

Crypto exchange Coinbase has paused its local fiat operations in Argentina less than a year after formally entering the market, scaling back peso-based services while keeping its crypto trading functionality. According to a report by Forbes Argentina, Coinbase informed users it is temporarily stepping back from maintaining local services after a review, describing the move as a "deliberate pause" to reassess and return with a more sustainable product offering.

The change primarily affects fiat rails: from Jan. 31, 2026 users will no longer be able to buy or sell USDC using Argentine pesos or withdraw funds to local bank accounts. Coinbase said users have a 30-day window to complete peso-based USDC transactions and withdrawals before the cutoff, and that crypto-to-crypto activity remains operational and customer funds are unaffected.

Coinbase said the pause does not imply a permanent exit and plans to maintain a presence in Argentina through Base, its Ethereum layer-2 network, continuing to work with local partners including Ripio on Base-related initiatives. The company announced its Argentina launch in early 2025 after preparing the previous year.

Cointelegraph reached out to Coinbase for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Key Topics

Crypto, Coinbase, Argentina, Usdc, Argentine Peso, Base