USDTether Invests $20 Million in Mercado Bitcoin
Deal strengthens Latin America push as USDT access narrows in Europe
TL;DR
- Tether invested $20 million in Mercado Bitcoin to support blockchain-based financial services across Latin America.
- Mercado Bitcoin says it serves 4.5 million users and has issued more than R$2 billion in tokenized assets.
- USDT faces tighter access on regulated European platforms after the July 1 end of MiCA’s transition period.
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Tether has invested $20 million in Mercado Bitcoin, a regulated digital asset platform in Latin America, to support expansion across payments, tokenized investment products, lending, on-chain capital markets and international operations while USDT faces new restrictions on regulated platforms in Europe.
The information was released on July 7, 2026. One release was timestamped 10:53:57 -04:00, while another was timestamped 21:31:09.
Mercado Bitcoin was founded in 2013 and has developed from a digital asset exchange into a broader financial platform covering trading, tokenized investment products, credit and lending, stablecoin-powered payments, banking infrastructure and cross-border services. The company is described as one of Latin America’s largest regulated digital asset platforms.
Tether said the capital will support Mercado Bitcoin’s expansion across several areas of blockchain-based financial infrastructure. The funding will also help scale tokenized investment products for retail and institutional investors, placing the deal beyond a standard exchange investment and closer to a broader infrastructure push.
Mercado Bitcoin frames the deal as on-chain finance infrastructure
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the investment fits Tether’s broader financial infrastructure strategy. “Tether’s mission is to build open, accessible, and efficient financial infrastructure for the world,” Ardoino said. He described Mercado Bitcoin as “a regulated, full-stack on-chain financial platform serving millions of users across one of the world’s most dynamic financial markets.”
Ardoino said Mercado Bitcoin’s “depth of regulatory licensing, tokenization infrastructure, and integrated financial services is unmatched in Latin America,” and said Tether looks forward to supporting Mercado Bitcoin’s next phase of growth as a strategic partner and investor.
Mercado Bitcoin Chairman and CEO Roberto Dagnoni said the shift toward blockchain-based finance is already taking shape. “The discussion is no longer whether finance will move on-chain. That transition is already underway,” Dagnoni said.
Dagnoni said the focus has moved to building infrastructure for tokenization, stablecoins, payments and capital markets at scale. He said those rails will reshape how money moves, how investments are accessed and how capital is deployed. He also said Mercado Bitcoin has spent more than a decade building the regulated foundation for that future, and that Tether’s investment strengthens its ability to accelerate on-chain financial services in Brazil and global markets.
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Europe restrictions create a sharper contrast for USDT
The investment comes as USDT faces increasing restrictions across regulated platforms in the European Economic Area following the implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets framework. The end of MiCA’s transition period on July 1 triggered restrictions or removals of USDT support across several regulated crypto platforms.
Several regulated platforms cited USDT’s lack of MiCA authorization as the reason for restricting or removing support for European users. Kraken, OKX and Revolut have limited USDT availability for European users as they shift toward stablecoins that fit the new compliance framework.
Tether has not announced plans to seek MiCA authorization. At the same time, Tether has continued expanding outside Europe through investments and partnerships in regions where blockchain adoption and digital financial infrastructure are growing.
The Mercado Bitcoin deal shows Tether backing a regulated platform with existing users, tokenization activity, licenses, payment rails and capital-market ambitions. The investment places Tether deeper into Latin America’s financial infrastructure layer at a time when European regulation is reshaping access to its flagship stablecoin on regulated platforms.
FAQ
What did Tether invest in Mercado Bitcoin?
Tether invested $20 million in a strategic financing round.
What will the funding support?
Payments, tokenized investment products, lending, on-chain capital markets and international operations.
Why is Europe relevant to the deal?
USDT access is narrowing on regulated European platforms after MiCA’s transition period ended.
Has Tether announced plans to seek MiCA authorization?
No. Tether has not announced plans to seek MiCA authorization.
This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.
