Tether Invests US$20M in Mercado Bitcoin to Accelerate Tokenization and On-Chain Finance

Mercado Bitcoin has secured a US$20 million investment from Tether, reinforcing its strategy to expand blockchain-based financial infrastructure. The funding will support the company's efforts to scale tokenized investment products, payment solutions, credit operations, and on-chain capital markets.

The investment round also includes participation from Mercado Bitcoin's founders and SoftBank, which has been a shareholder since the company achieved unicorn status in 2021.

Tether backs Mercado Bitcoin's next phase of growth

Founded in 2013 by Roberto Dagnoni, Gustavo Chamati, Mauricio Chamati and Rodrigo Batista, Mercado Bitcoin has evolved into the largest digital asset platform in Latin America. The company has processed more than US$30 million in transactions and currently serves 4.5 million users.

Its product portfolio includes digital asset trading, tokenized investment products, credit solutions, stablecoin payments, and banking services, positioning the company as one of the region's most comprehensive blockchain-based financial platforms.

Funding will accelerate blockchain financial infrastructure

Mercado Bitcoin will use the new capital to strengthen its payment infrastructure while expanding its tokenized investment offerings for both retail and institutional investors. The company also plans to reinforce its credit operations and continue developing on-chain capital markets.

Tokenization, the process of converting traditional assets, such as credit securities, into blockchain-based tokens, has become a central pillar of the company's long-term growth strategy.

"The discussion is no longer about whether financial services will migrate to on-chain infrastructure. This transition is already happening. The focus now is on building the infrastructure capable of supporting tokenization, stablecoins, payments, and capital markets at scale," said Roberto Dagnoni, Founder and CEO of Mercado Bitcoin.

Brazil continues to strengthen its position in digital finance

The investment comes as financial services increasingly adopt blockchain-based infrastructure. At the same time, Brazil has established itself as the most mature cryptocurrency market in Latin America, supported by an active regulatory framework, strong digital adoption, and growing demand for more efficient financial services.

Mercado Bitcoin currently operates with more than 10 licenses across Brazil and Europe, including a Payment Institution license granted by the Central Bank of Brazil.

Tether sees regulated infrastructure as key to stablecoin adoption

For Tether, the investment is part of a broader strategy to support regulated platforms that can drive large-scale stablecoin adoption across emerging markets.

In countries facing high inflation and volatile currencies, USDT has become an increasingly common tool for saving and transferring value, with Latin America representing a significant share of global usage.

"Mercado Bitcoin has built exactly that: a regulated, integrated on-chain financial services platform serving millions of users in one of the world's most dynamic financial markets. Its licensing and tokenization infrastructure is unmatched in Latin America," said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether.

Building the infrastructure for on-chain financial services

With fresh capital from Tether, its founders, and SoftBank, Mercado Bitcoin aims to expand the infrastructure supporting blockchain-based financial services. By scaling payments, tokenized investments, credit solutions, and on-chain capital markets, the company continues to position itself at the center of the transition toward digital financial infrastructure in Latin America.