UPDATE (14th October 10:26 BST): Comments added from Alberto Vega, BitPayâs Regional Manager for Latin America.
Latin American e-tailer Famsa is now accepting bitcoin for online purchases.
The chain, founded in 1970, sells a variety of consumer goods and electronics across Mexico and the US. It is processing transactions via Atlanta firm BitPay.
The news follows last monthâs announcement from MercadoLibre â the âeBay of Latin Americaâ â that it would integrate bitcoin, and a deal between Mexicoâs BitPagos and Entrepids to allow e-commerce stores to accept the currency.
Alberto Vega, BitPayâs regional manager for Latin America, told CoinDesk interest among online retailers is growing:
âIt is a very exciting time for bitcoin adoption in Latin America. We are experiencing a great moment, [with] major growth since the TAR Airlines announcement a few months ago.â
Although bitcoin merchant adoption is waning â with many businesses reporting âwidely disappointingâ sales â Latin America appears to be bucking the trend.
According to BitPay, the region saw a 510% increase in transactions from 2014 to 2015. It sees around 10% of transactions happening in Europe, the region that hosts half of BitPayâs merchants.
Disclaimer:Â CoinDesk founder Shakil Khan is an investor in BitPay.