Banco de México's Circular 4/2019, published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on 8 March 2019, states the policy in its own recitals - it is considered appropriate to keep a healthy distance between virtual assets and the financial system - and then enforces it: credit institutions and licensed fintech institutions (ITF) may carry out virtual-asset operations only as internal operations, only with Banxico's prior authorisation, and an application is expressly ineligible for that authorisation where the institution intends to provide its clients directly with exchange, transmission or custody of virtual assets. So a Mexican bank or an authorised fintech cannot sell you crypto; that trade happens at venues that sit outside the ITF licence, and outside the consumer protections attached to it. Nothing here prohibits a person from buying, holding or selling crypto.
The contract itself does not change by geography: a LIT perpetual settles in USDC everywhere.
11 venues open Lighter perps to traders in Mexico.
ApeX
Aster
Avantis
Ethereal
gTrade
Helix
Hyperliquid
Lighter
Pacifica
ParadexFour steps from sign-up to an open position.
Gains from selling or exchanging cryptocurrency are subject to income tax at the individual's marginal rate (up to 35%).
Trading Lighter from Mexico: legal.
Banco de México (Banxico) and Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores (CNBV).
For Mexico residents trading Lighter: Gains from selling or exchanging cryptocurrency are subject to income tax at the individual's marginal rate (up to 35%).
Mexico traders can fund Lighter positions using SPEI (Bank Transfer), Debit Card and OXXO Cash Deposit.
17 platforms serve Mexico for Lighter trading, among them Aevo, ApeX and Aster.