Tether Invests $20 Million in Mercado Bitcoin
BITmarkets Team
Jul 14, 2026
Founded in 2013, Mercado Bitcoin has evolved beyond a traditional crypto exchange into a regulated financial platform. The company serves more than 4.5 million users, has issued over 2 billion Brazilian reais (approximately $370 million) in tokenized assets, and operates under nearly a dozen regulatory licenses across Brazil and Europe, including a payment institution license from Brazil’s central bank.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino described Mercado Bitcoin as one of the region’s most comprehensive regulated onchain financial platforms, highlighting its licensing framework, tokenization capabilities and integrated financial services. Earlier this year, Mercado Bitcoin also announced that it had issued more than $20 million in tokenized private credit on the Bitcoin sidechain Rootstock, further expanding its tokenization ecosystem.
Tether continues expanding its investment strategy
The latest deal reflects Tether Investments’ broader strategy of backing companies developing blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Tether, the issuer of USDT, currently the world's largest stablecoin with approximately $184 billion in circulation, reported around $1.04 billion in net profit during the first quarter of 2026. The company has increasingly used these profits to fund strategic investments across the digital asset industry.
In April, Tether participated in a $134 million funding round for Stablecoin Development Corporation, a NYSE American-listed company focused on expanding stablecoin infrastructure. The following month, it invested in remittance platform LemFi to support the use of USDT for cross-border settlements across Africa and Asia. Later in May, Tether also partnered with the Government of Georgia to develop a stablecoin pegged to the Georgian lari under the country's digital asset framework.
Investments extend beyond stablecoins
While stablecoins remain a key focus, Tether has continued diversifying its investment portfolio into sectors such as artificial intelligence, energy, biotechnology and digital media through its investment division. Despite ongoing market speculation surrounding a potential public listing, CEO Paolo Ardoino has reiterated that the company has no plans to go public.
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