The cost of cash is too high for our economies. Stablecoins and digital payments offer greater resilience.

Driss Temsamani, Managing Director of Citi Group expuso que cuando el internet fue creado, no fue creado para la interoperabilidad, el dinero y los negocios. A diferencia de nuevas tecnologías siendo creadas como blockchain y usos de Inteligencia Artificial, las nuevas tecnologías si están siendo creadas para generar valor y nuevos negocios. En 5 años todo habrá cambiado.

Helga Sierra, Managing Partner of Infinity Partners LATAM, shares one of three key insights after attending the FinnLAC Forum organized by IDB Invest in Miami, Florida. The FinnLAC Forum is the leading regional event on financial innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group. It brings together leaders from the financial, governmental, technology, and academic sectors to discuss and promote innovation, financial health, and sustainable development in the region.

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Cash is expensive, and it's holding Latin America back.

From logistics and security to administrative overhead, the real cost of cash goes far beyond the transaction. At FinnLAC, leaders from Mercado Pago and the IDB underscored that handling physical cash, especially in rural or underserved areas, imposes disproportionate burdens on financial institutions and small businesses alike. Cash flow remains a pain point for companies of all sizes—and digital ecosystems are emerging as the clear path forward.

IDB Group lanzá nuevo sistema IDP Pay que busca llegar al 30% de la población de Latinoamerica no bancarizado.

Stablecoins, digital wallets, and instant payments are rewriting the rules of the game.

As highlighted in sessions with SWIFT , Bank W and regulatory bodies, stablecoins represent a unique opportunity to stabilize and streamline transactions, especially cross-border ones.

In countries with unstable currencies or low banking coverage, tokenized payments improve liquidity and allow access to unbanked populations.

In addition, digital payment solutions linked to open finance platforms and public infrastructure (such as Pix in Brazil or the QR systems in El Salvador) offer scalable and inclusive alternatives to cash-heavy models.

It's time to go digital.

What does this mean for businesses in Central America, Latin America, and emerging markets?

Corporate finance strategies in a rapidly evolving technological world must be a priority for business decision-makers. Companies need to analyze how much time, risk, and money they lose by continuing to rely on cash. For entrepreneurs and purchasing managers, adopting digital tools, from mobile payments to ERP integrations and e-invoicing. can unlock efficiency, customer trust, and regional expansion.

Business executives face the challenge of learning about these new technologies, currency fluctuations, and artificial intelligence processes. As the population grows, so does the number of digital natives. Product and service offerings must intrinsically incorporate technology to create seamless and barrier-free user experiences.

The adoption of software and hardware with interoperability features will have greater value over time.

Innovative ideas have great potential. The IDB reports that 30% of the population in Latin America still lacks access to banking solutions; well-designed and implemented solutions can leverage "blue ocean" business strategies.

At Infinity Partners LATAM , we help organizations leave behind outdated processes and migrate to resilient digital systems, because being resilient is not just about resisting, it's about scaling with confidence.