Ualá
Buenos Aires historian-turned-founder set out to bank every Argentine teenager; now ~1 in 5 Argentine adults use it, with 11M+ customers across AR/MX/CO.
AR/MX/CO; added crypto + dollar features.
- Who holds it
- The company itself — it holds a full banking licence — Bank licenses (AR via Wilobank, MX via ABC Capital).
- The ledger
- The bank’s own core ledger.
- If it fails
- A covered-deposit payout through the local scheme, up to its limit.
Derived from Ualá’s regulation type and custody — a class of protection, not a guarantee. Limits and eligibility vary by scheme, balance and jurisdiction; confirm before you rely on it. What happens if a neobank shuts down →
The facts
| Category | traditional |
| AI | AI underwriting in production |
| HQ | Buenos Aires, AR |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Custody | Custodial |
| Regulation type | Licensed bank |
| License detail | Bank licenses (AR via Wilobank, MX via ABC Capital) |
| Card | MC · Prepaid + credit |
| Yield | Remunerated account |
| Stablecoins | Yes |
| KYC | Yes |
| Active regions | Latin America |
| Countries | Argentina, Mexico, Colombia |
| Founders | Pierpaolo Barbieri |
| Funding | ~$1B+ raised incl. $195M round (Mar 2026) at $3.2B |
Verified links: official site ↗ · terms ↗ · @uala ↗
Common questions about Ualá
What is Ualá?
Ualá is a fiat neobank, headquartered in Buenos Aires, AR and founded in 2017. Your money is held custodially, so Ualá or its partner bank holds the balance and you hold a claim on it. It is regulated as a licensed bank (Bank licenses (AR via Wilobank, MX via ABC Capital)).
Does Ualá have a card, and where can you use it?
It issues a Mastercard prepaid and credit card. It is available in 3 countries, across Latin America.
Does Ualá require KYC?
Yes. Ualá requires identity verification (KYC) to open an account, as a licensed bank.
What does Ualá cost?
From the verified fields: yield Remunerated account. Cashback and yield are "up to" figures that change constantly and often depend on a paid plan — confirm current terms with Ualá before relying on them.
Early investors
Head-to-head
Peers
Wise · Nubank · Banco Inter · PicPay · PagBank · Nequi
Ualá appears in
Neobanks that hold their own banking license (132) · Neobanks available in Latin America (113) · Neobanks that issue a Mastercard (150) · Neobanks in Argentina (10)
Figures compiled from public sources, for comparison only — not financial advice. "Up to" rates change constantly; always confirm with the issuer. Spotted an error? Suggest a fix.