Tether, the largest company in the digital asset industry and issuer of USDT, announced a strategic investment in Parfin, a digital asset platform based in London and Rio de Janeiro. The move is aimed at deepening the adoption of USDT across Latin America’s institutional market and enhancing on-chain settlement capabilities across the region.
Expanding institutional use of USDT in Latin America
According to Tether's announcement, the investment reflects its commitment to supporting financial institutions that leverage USDT as a settlement asset for high-value use cases, such as cross-border payments, real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, and credit markets encompassing trade finance, commercial invoices, and credit card receivables.
Tether noted that this step will accelerate access to efficient, blockchain-based settlement systems throughout Latin America, positioning USDT as a key bridge between traditional finance and decentralized infrastructure. The size of the investment has not been disclosed, but it follows shortly after Tether’s investment in Bitcoin-backed lending platform Ledn, signaling the company’s growing focus on expanding institutional stablecoin utility.
“At Tether, we believe in global, unrestricted access to financial freedom and real-world digital asset use cases. One way to achieve this is to strengthen the bridge between traditional finance and blockchain technology, enabling easier access for individuals and institutions. Parfin has shown a strong commitment to bridging this gap. This investment also reflects our belief in Latin America as one of the global powerhouses for blockchain innovations,” said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether.
Parfin’s growing role in digital asset infrastructure
Founded in 2019, Parfin builds and manages institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure that allows financial entities to custody, tokenize, and transact digital assets securely and compliantly. The firm operates in Brazil and the United Kingdom and secured official registration as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Argentina in October 2025, receiving recognition from the country’s financial regulator.
Parfin’s platform enables tokenization and digital asset management in line with institutional and regulatory standards. Its proprietary technology, including the Rayls blockchain, offers a secure and private environment for on-chain financial operations while maintaining interoperability across ecosystems.
“Parfin has established itself as a pioneer in building the Parfin Platform and Rayls to bring the global financial system on-chain in a way that is secure, private, and compliant,” said Marcos Viriato, Chief Executive Officer of Parfin. “Tether’s investment is a strong validation of our vision to accelerate the integration of tokenization applications and USD₮ into our institutional-grade blockchain and digital assets solutions.”
Latin America’s growing crypto adoption and regulatory progress
Latin America continues to emerge as one of the world’s most dynamic centers for digital asset growth. The Chainalysis 2025 Geography of Cryptocurrency Report highlighted that the region saw nearly $1.5 trillion in cryptocurrency transaction volume between July 2022 and June 2025. Brazil led activity with $318.8 billion in crypto inflows, representing nearly one-third of all regional volume, followed by Argentina with $93.9 billion.
Institutional participation has been a major catalyst, supported by evolving regulatory frameworks that promote responsible innovation. These developments have encouraged traditional financial entities to explore blockchain-based solutions for payments, lending, and trade finance.
Stablecoins, particularly USDT, have become central to this growth. According to Mexico-based crypto exchange Bitso, stablecoins accounted for 39% of all crypto purchases on its platform in 2024. Many users across Latin America employ stablecoins for protection from inflation, daily transactions, and cross-border remittances that bypass high banking fees.
Strengthening financial inclusion and innovation
Through this investment, Tether is not only expanding its footprint in Latin America but also reinforcing its long-term goal of advancing financial accessibility and digital transformation in emerging markets. Parfin’s infrastructure provides a scalable and compliant foundation for institutions to integrate blockchain technology into everyday operations, a mission aligned with Tether’s vision of uniting traditional and decentralized finance.
The partnership also comes at a time when Latin America’s economy increasingly embraces tokenized assets and blockchain settlement for real-world financial instruments. By fostering efficient and transparent systems, Tether and Parfin aim to equip institutions with the tools needed to harness these innovations responsibly.
With USDT currently boasting a market capitalization of around $183.73 billion, according to DefiLlama data, Tether’s reach continues to set the pace for global stablecoin adoption. The collaboration with Parfin underscores its commitment to enabling practical, regulated blockchain solutions across Latin America’s institutional ecosystem.
Tanya Petrusenko
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