Tether has invested in Parfin, a Latin American digital asset custody and tokenization platform, as the stablecoin issuer pushes deeper into institutional use cases across one of the world's most dynamic cryptocurrency markets.
The investment, announced Thursday, aims to accelerate adoption of USDT as a settlement asset for institutional applications including cross-border transactions, real-world asset tokenization, and yield-bearing credit markets such as trade finance receivables, commercial receivables, and credit card receivables.
Latin America's regulatory environment has evolved to accommodate institutional crypto participation, creating opportunities for platforms that can bridge traditional finance and blockchain technology while meeting compliance requirements. The investment positions Tether to capitalize on this momentum as institutions explore tokenization and blockchain-based settlement systems.
"At Tether, we believe in global, unrestricted access to financial freedom and real-world digital asset use cases," said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether. "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."
The deal marks a strategic move for Tether to strengthen infrastructure supporting institutional blockchain adoption in a region recording nearly $1.5 trillion in cryptocurrency transaction volume, according to the Chainalysis Geography of Cryptocurrency 2025 report. Institutional cryptocurrency usage is a major driver of growth, with regulatory frameworks helping create an ecosystem enabling larger institutions to participate.
Parfin provides institutions with tools for digital asset custody, tokenization, trading, and management while maintaining compliance with regulatory standards. The company has developed the Parfin Platform and Rayls to bring traditional financial systems on-chain with security, privacy, and compliance features.
"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," said Marcos Viriato, chief executive officer of Parfin.
For Tether, the investment represents an effort to position USDT as infrastructure for institutional finance beyond retail trading. The partnership targets use cases in trade finance and asset tokenization, areas where blockchain settlement could reduce friction in cross-border transactions prevalent across Latin America.
The move also reflects Tether's broader strategy to expand institutional relationships globally as the company, the largest in the digital asset industry, seeks to diversify USDT's utility beyond cryptocurrency exchanges.
