Prominent stablecoin issuer Tether said Tuesday it will invest $20 million in a strategic financing round for Mercado Bitcoin, a Brazilian cryptocurrency exchange, as the two companies push to expand blockchain-based financial services across Latin America.
Mercado Bitcoin, founded in 2013, has grown from a digital asset exchange into a broader financial platform offering trading, tokenized investment products, credit and lending, stablecoin-powered payments, banking infrastructure, and cross-border services.
The company said it serves 4.5 million users, has issued more than 2 billion reais (about $387 million) in tokenized assets, and holds more than 10 licenses across Brazil and Europe, including a payment institution license from Brazil’s central bank.
“Tether’s mission is to build open, accessible, and efficient financial infrastructure for the world,” said Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, in a statement. “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.”
“Its depth of regulatory licensing, tokenization infrastructure, and integrated financial services is unmatched in Latin America,” he added. “We look forward to supporting Mercado Bitcoin’s next phase of growth as a strategic partner and investor.”
According to the announcement, the new capital will go toward expanding payments infrastructure, scaling tokenized investment products for retail and institutional investors, growing lending capabilities, advancing on-chain capital markets, and pursuing international expansion.
“The discussion is no longer whether finance will move on-chain. That transition is already underway,” said Mercado Bitcoin Chairman and CEO Roberto Dagnoni, in a statement. “The focus now is on building the infrastructure that will support tokenization, stablecoins, payments, and capital markets at scale, reshaping how money moves, investments are accessed, and capital is deployed.”
“Mercado Bitcoin has spent more than a decade building the regulated foundation for this future, and this investment strengthens our ability to accelerate the next generation of on-chain financial services in Brazil and across global markets,” he continued.
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