Tether invested $20 million in Mercado Bitcoin to expand tokenization and stablecoin payments in Latin America

Tether has invested $20 million in the Brazil-based crypto platform Mercado Bitcoin, aiming to accelerate the growth of blockchain-based financial services across Latin America. According to available sources, this capital injection is intended to help Mercado Bitcoin broaden its offerings in tokenized assets, stablecoin payments, lending products, and various other digital finance services.

Mercado Bitcoin’s growth strategy

Launched in 2013, Mercado Bitcoin has evolved from a simple crypto trading platform to a regulated provider of financial services. Today, the company operates in areas including tokenized assets, lending solutions, stablecoin transactions, and cross-border financial services, indicating a significant expansion beyond its original scope.

The company recently announced it has surpassed 4.5 million users. Additionally, Mercado Bitcoin reported issuing more than 2 billion Brazilian reals—approximately $370 million—in tokenized assets. The firm operates under around 12 licenses across Brazil and Europe, including a payment institution license granted by the Central Bank of Brazil.

In February, as part of its tokenization push, Mercado Bitcoin launched over $20 million in private credit assets using Rootstock, a Bitcoin sidechain, to facilitate more secure and programmable financial products.

Mini glossary: Rootstock is a sidechain compatible with the Bitcoin network, supporting smart contracts and enabling the development of tokenization and decentralized finance applications within the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Tether’s investment approach

This move is in line with Tether Investments’ broader strategy of providing capital to companies developing blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Tether is the company behind USDT, the world’s largest stablecoin, with roughly $184 billion in circulation.

In the first quarter of 2026, the company reported a net profit of approximately $1.04 billion. Tether has channeled these substantial resources into a series of strategic investments.

In May, Tether invested in LemFi, a payment platform aimed at supporting the use of USDT for settlements in cross-border payment corridors in Africa and Asia. During the same period, Tether revealed plans to develop a Georgian lari-pegged stablecoin with the government of Georgia as part of the country’s digital asset framework.

No public offering plans

Beyond stablecoin projects, Tether’s investment division is active in sectors such as artificial intelligence, energy, biotechnology, and digital media, signaling a diversification into industries outside of financial infrastructure.

Despite market speculation over a possible public listing, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has previously stated that the company does not have plans to go public.

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