Tether Invests $20 Million in Mercado Bitcoin to Expand Latin American Presence
Tether, the global stablecoin company, has announced a $20 million strategic investment in Mercado Bitcoin, a Brazilian financial services platform. The investment is part of a growth financing round that also included SoftBank and is aimed at expanding Mercado Bitcoin’s presence across Latin America.
The funds will be used to enhance Mercado Bitcoin’s payment infrastructure, tokenized investment offerings, lending and credit services, and on-chain capital markets. With over 4.5 million customers and operations in Brazil and Europe, Mercado Bitcoin is described by Tether as “one of the most comprehensive regulated on-chain financial platforms in Latin America.”
Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, stated that both companies are working to build a more open, accessible, and efficient financial infrastructure. “Mercado Bitcoin has built exactly that, a regulated, full-stack on-chain financial platform serving millions of users across one of the world’s most dynamic financial markets,” he said.
The investment comes as Brazil advances its regulatory framework for stablecoins, providing clearer guidelines that attract global institutional capital. Roberto Dagnoni, Chairman and CEO of Mercado Bitcoin, noted that the investment strengthens the company’s ability to accelerate the next generation of on-chain financial services in Brazil and globally.
This is not Tether’s first foray into Latin America. Last year, the company invested in Parfin, a crypto service provider for institutions, and Orionx. In 2024, Tether also backed mobile payments company Oobit’s expansion into the region. The latest move underscores Tether’s commitment to deepening its footprint in emerging markets where blockchain-based financial services are gaining traction.