Why did Tether invest US$20 million in Mercado Bitcoin?

Tether invested US$20 million in Mercado Bitcoin to support the expansion of tokenised assets, stablecoin payments, lending and other blockchain-based financial services across Latin America. The investment forms part of Tether's strategy of backing digital asset infrastructure companies.

What does Mercado Bitcoin plan to do with Tether's investment?

Mercado Bitcoin said it will use Tether's US$20 million investment to expand its tokenisation business and blockchain-based financial services. The company also plans to grow its stablecoin payments, lending and cross-border financial products across Latin America.

How large is Mercado Bitcoin's tokenised asset business?

Mercado Bitcoin said it has issued more than 2 billion Brazilian reais, or about US$370 million, in tokenised assets. The company also said it serves more than 4.5 million users and operates under nearly a dozen licences across Brazil and Europe.

How is Tether using its recent profits for investments?

Tether said it is using profits from its business to fund strategic investments in blockchain infrastructure. The company reported approximately US$1.04 billion in net profit during the first quarter of 2026 and issues USDt (CRYPTO:USDT), which has about US$184 billion in circulation.

What other companies has Tether invested in recently?

Tether has recently invested in Stablecoin Development Corporation, remittance platform LemFi and a Georgian stablecoin initiative. The company has also expanded its investments into artificial intelligence, energy, biotechnology and digital media through its investment arm.

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Tether invests $20M in Mercado Bitcoin

Written by Jon CuthbertPublished Jul 8, 2026, 12:54 AM

Tether invested US$20 million in Brazilian cryptocurrency platform Mercado Bitcoin to expand blockchain finance across Latin America.
The funding will support tokenised assets, stablecoin payments, lending and other blockchain-based financial services.
The investment forms part of Tether's broader strategy of backing digital asset infrastructure using company profits.

Tether invested US$20 million in Mercado Bitcoin to support the Brazilian cryptocurrency platform's expansion into tokenised assets, stablecoin payments, lending and blockchain-based financial services across Latin America.

Mercado Bitcoin has expanded beyond cryptocurrency trading since its 2013 launch and said it now serves more than 4.5 million users, has issued more than 2 billion Brazilian reais (about US$370 million) in tokenised assets and operates under nearly a dozen licences in Brazil and Europe.

“Mercado Bitcoin has built one of Latin America's most comprehensive regulated onchain financial platforms,” said Tether chief executive Paolo Ardoino.

Mercado Bitcoin said it will use the investment to expand its tokenisation business after deploying more than US$20 million in tokenised private credit on the Rootstock Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) sidechain in February.

The investment expands Tether's infrastructure portfolio, and following the announcement there was no share price reaction because both companies are privately held.

The company has recently invested in Stablecoin Development Corporation, remittance platform LemFi and a Georgian stablecoin initiative, while also expanding into artificial intelligence, energy, biotechnology and digital media through its investment arm.

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $63,538.84.

Tether invests $20M in Mercado Bitcoin

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