Tether Invests $20 Million in Mercado Bitcoin to Grow Latin America Onchain Finance

Tether has announced a $20 million strategic investment in Mercado Bitcoin, Latin America’s leading onchain financial services platform, to support its growth across tokenization, payments, credit, and capital markets. The move reinforces Brazil’s growing role as a hub for digital asset adoption and blockchain-based financial services.

From Exchange to Full Financial Platform

Founded in 2013, Mercado Bitcoin has grown from a digital asset exchange into a full-service financial platform offering trading, tokenized investment products, credit and lending, stablecoin-powered payments, and cross-border services. The company serves 4.5 million users, has issued more than R$2 billion in tokenized assets, and holds over 10 licenses across Brazil and Europe, including a Payment Institution license from Brazil’s central bank.

Tether CEO Highlights Regulatory Depth

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said Mercado Bitcoin’s combination of regulatory licensing, tokenization infrastructure, and integrated financial services stands out in the Latin American market. Mercado Bitcoin Chairman and CEO Roberto Dagnoni said the investment strengthens the company’s ability to build out onchain financial services at scale as finance continues shifting onto blockchain rails.

Funds to Support Growth Across Several Fronts

The new capital will go toward expanding payments infrastructure, scaling tokenized investment products for retail and institutional investors, growing lending capabilities, advancing onchain capital markets, and supporting international expansion, according to the announcement.