Tether has made a strategic investment in Parfin, a digital asset infrastructure provider based in London and Rio de Janeiro, aiming to accelerate USDT adoption among institutional players across Latin America. The partnership focuses on expanding onchain settlement tools and strengthening the region’s stablecoin infrastructure.
According to Tether, the investment highlights its ambition to position USDT as a core settlement layer for large-scale institutional use. This includes cross-border transactions, real-world asset tokenization, and credit markets linked to commercial invoices, trade finance, and card receivables.
Founded in 2019, Parfin develops platforms that allow institutions to custody, tokenize, and transact digital assets. The company recently secured official registration in Argentina as a virtual asset service provider and has maintained active operations in Brazil since 2020. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino noted that the move reflects the firm’s confidence in Latin America as a growing center for blockchain innovation.
USDT remains the world’s largest stablecoin, with a market capitalization of roughly $183.7 billion, while the entire stablecoin sector is valued at about $303 billion, according to DefiLlama. Tether’s investment in Parfin follows its recent backing of Ledn, a Bitcoin-based lending platform.
Latin America has quickly become one of the most active regions in global crypto adoption. Research from Chainalysis shows that between July 2022 and June 2025, the region recorded nearly $1.5 trillion in crypto transaction volume. Brazil leads with about $318.8 billion, followed by Argentina with $93.9 billion.
Much of this growth is driven by the need for protection against inflation. Argentina, which continues to struggle with severe monetary instability, experienced a major peso run in September that forced its central bank to spend over $1 billion. Stablecoins have become a popular alternative, serving as a store of value for everyday users. According to Bitso, USDT and USDC represented 39 percent of all crypto purchases on the platform in 2024.
Stablecoins are also helping residents bypass traditional banking limitations by offering easier payments, savings solutions, and low-cost remittances that avoid high SWIFT fees. As Bybit’s Latin American division explained to Cointelegraph, crypto is increasingly improving financial access and reshaping daily life for millions across the region.
