Blockchain Finance Growth in Latin America Fueled by Tether's Investment in Mercado Bitcoin
The Brazilian crypto platform Mercado Bitcoin secures funding from Tether to drive tokenized finance expansion throughout Latin America, reinforcing Tether's strategy of infrastructure-focused investments.
The Brazilian cryptocurrency platform Mercado Bitcoin has secured a $20 million investment from Tether, aimed at accelerating the company's growth in tokenized assets, blockchain-powered financial services, stablecoin-based payments, and lending operations throughout the Latin American region.
Mercado Bitcoin, which first launched operations in 2013, has evolved significantly from its original focus on cryptocurrency trading to become a provider of regulated financial services. The platform now offers tokenized assets, credit products, stablecoin payment solutions, and cross-border transaction services.
According to the company, its user base exceeds 4.5 million individuals, and it has successfully issued tokenized assets valued at more than 2 billion Brazilian reais (approximately $370 million). The firm operates with nearly a dozen regulatory licenses spanning Brazil and Europe, including a payment institution license granted by the Brazilian central bank.
Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, highlighted that Mercado Bitcoin has developed one of the most extensive regulated onchain financial platforms in Latin America, pointing to its comprehensive licensing framework, tokenization infrastructure capabilities, and integrated suite of financial services.
Earlier this year in February, Mercado Bitcoin revealed that it had successfully deployed over $20 million in tokenized private credit—representing one component of its wider tokenization operations—utilizing the Bitcoin (BTC) sidechain Rootstock.
Strategic investments funded by Tether's profits
The investment in Mercado Bitcoin is consistent with the strategic approach of Tether Investments, which focuses on supporting enterprises that are building blockchain-based financial infrastructure.
Tether is the issuer of USDT (USDT), which stands as the largest stablecoin globally, with approximately $184 billion currently in circulation. For the first quarter of 2026, the company recorded net profits of roughly $1.04 billion, capital that is being deployed for strategic investment purposes.
This past April, the company took part in a $134 million funding round for Stablecoin Development Corporation, a company traded on NYSE American that concentrates on broadening access to the stablecoin economy and digital asset infrastructure.
One month following that transaction, Tether made an investment in the remittance platform LemFi to facilitate the incorporation of USDT as a settlement mechanism for cross-border payments spanning Africa and Asia. The partnership between the two companies is intended to expand stablecoin-based payment infrastructure across critical remittance corridors.
Later during the same month of May, Tether revealed plans in collaboration with the Government of Georgia to introduce a stablecoin that would be pegged to the Georgian lari, operating within the country's digital asset regulatory framework.
In addition to initiatives related to stablecoins, Tether has diversified its investment portfolio through its investment division to include sectors such as artificial intelligence, energy production, biotechnology, and digital media.
Despite ongoing speculation regarding a potential public offering, CEO Paolo Ardoino has stated clearly that the company does not have any intentions to pursue a public listing.
