Tether has invested $20 million in Brazilian cryptocurrency platform Mercado Bitcoin.

Cointelegraph reported on Monday that Mercado Bitcoin plans to use the funds to expand blockchain-based financial services across Latin America, including tokenised finance, stablecoin payments and lending.

Mercado Bitcoin has expanded beyond cryptocurrency trading into regulated financial services since its launch in 2013. It currently runs tokenised assets, credit, stablecoin payments and cross-border services. It has more than 4.5 million users, and the volume of tokenised assets it has issued exceeds 2 billion Brazilian reais. That is about $370 million. It holds around 10 licences in Brazil and Europe, including a payment institution licence from Brazil's central bank.

Paolo Ardoino (파올로 아르도이노), Tether's chief executive, said Mercado Bitcoin has built one of Latin America's leading regulated on-chain finance platforms based on its licensing framework, tokenisation infrastructure and integrated financial services.

The investment follows Tether Investments' blockchain-based financial infrastructure strategy. Tether issues USDT worth $184 billion. Its net profit in the first quarter of 2026 was about $1.04 billion.

Tether has also invested through its investment arm in artificial intelligence, energy, biotechnology and digital media, in addition to stablecoins. Ardoino said Tether has no plans for an initial public offering amid speculation about a possible listing.