Tether Drops $20M Into Mercado Bitcoin While Europe Gives USDT the Side-Eye 🇧🇷

Tether has invested $20 million in Mercado Bitcoin, one of Latin America's largest regulated digital asset platforms, as the stablecoin issuer deepens its push into tokenization, payments and blockchain-based financial services across high-growth markets. The strategic financing round was announced Tuesday and marks Tether's latest expansion outside Europe, where the company's $USDT flagship is facing increasing restrictions under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets framework.

Founded in 2013, Mercado Bitcoin operates a regulated on-chain financial platform serving 4.5 million users, with offerings spanning trading, tokenized assets, lending, stablecoin-powered payments and cross-border financial services. The company said it has issued more than R$2 billion in tokenized assets — roughly $370 million to $387 million depending on the source's exchange rate — and holds more than 10 regulatory licenses across Brazil and Europe, including a Payment Institution license from Brazil's central bank. In February, the platform disclosed it had deployed more than $20 million in tokenized private credit on the Rootstock Bitcoin ($BTC) sidechain.

Tether said the new capital will fund expansion of Mercado Bitcoin's payments infrastructure, scaling of tokenized investment products for retail and institutional clients, growth in lending capabilities, advancement of on-chain capital markets and international expansion. "Tether's mission is to build open, accessible, and efficient financial infrastructure for the world," CEO Paolo Ardoino said, describing Mercado Bitcoin as a regulated, full-stack on-chain financial platform. "Its depth of regulatory licensing, tokenization infrastructure, and integrated financial services is unmatched in Latin America," he added. Mercado Bitcoin Chairman and CEO Roberto Dagnoni said the investment strengthens the company's ability to accelerate the next generation of on-chain financial services in Brazil and across global markets.

The investment is part of Tether Investments' broader strategy of backing companies developing blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Tether, which issues $USDT — the world's largest stablecoin with about $184 billion in circulation — reported approximately $1.04 billion in net profit in the first quarter of 2026 and is deploying profits into strategic investments. Recent moves include participating in a $134 million funding round in April for NYSE American-listed Stablecoin Development Corporation, investing in remittance platform LemFi in May to integrate $USDT for cross-border payments across Africa and Asia, and announcing plans with the Government of Georgia to launch a stablecoin pegged to the Georgian lari under the country's digital asset framework. Tether has also invested in artificial intelligence, energy, biotechnology and digital media through its investment arm. Despite market speculation, Ardoino has said the company has no plans to go public.

The Mercado Bitcoin deal comes as USDT faces mounting restrictions in the European Economic Area following the end of MiCA's transition period on July 1. Several regulated crypto platforms, including Kraken, OKX and Revolut, have limited or removed support for $USDT for European users, citing the stablecoin's lack of MiCA authorization. Tether has not announced plans to seek MiCA authorization and has instead continued to channel capital and partnerships into regions where digital financial infrastructure is expanding.