BOGOTÁ / TORTOLA — Stablecoin issuer Tether announced an investment in Latin American fintech platform EFY Finance on October 13, participating in the company’s seed funding round to broaden institutional access to dollar-backed digital assets across 17 countries.
The capital will fund EFY Finance’s cross-border payment rails, digital asset custody offerings, and on-and-off-ramp integrations with domestic banking systems. The platform currently serves more than 25,000 active retail and corporate accounts. Financial terms, including the exact investment figure and EFY’s post-money valuation, were not disclosed.
Bridging USDT and USAT with Traditional Banking Rails
EFY Finance operates as a critical bridge between digital assets and local domestic clearing houses, enabling corporate clients and institutions to send, convert, and settle funds in over 12 local currencies.
- Expanded Token Support: The platform supports both Tether’s flagship USDT and USAT, a U.S.-focused digital dollar issued with Tether’s backing by Anchorage Digital Bank, N.A. (a federally chartered bank).
- Multi-Corridor Reach: EFY’s settlement network reaches local bank accounts in 17 countries, with established footholds in Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Bolivia, Panama, and Ecuador.
- Licensing & Compliance: EFY Finance operates under a Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) license in El Salvador, providing a regulated framework for corporate treasury management, OTC desks, digital wallets, and payment cards.
“Connecting digital currencies with the banking systems businesses already use every day is our core priority—linking stablecoins seamlessly to operational accounts, cards, and cross-border settlement arrangements.”
— Andrés Tobón, Co-founder and CEO of EFY Finance
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino highlighted that persistent regional inflation and strict foreign exchange controls continue to drive businesses and individuals toward U.S. dollar-pegged assets. He emphasized that partnering with regulated domestic providers ensures secure, compliant access through established banking corridors.
Strategic Shift: Latin American Enterprise Expansion
The investment builds on Tether’s broader deployment into emerging market financial infrastructure, following its reported $20 million investment in Argentine digital bank Ualá in July 2026.
It also complements Tether’s enterprise settlement pilots, including a corporate cross-border trial conducted with Hyundai Motor’s U.S. and Mexican divisions in July 2026, which settled $20,000 in USDT over the Avalanche network in approximately seven minutes.
Regional Adoption: The .5 Trillion Stablecoin Demand
Tether’s venture comes amid explosive market demand for dollar-denominated liquidity across Latin America:
| Indicator / Study | Detail / Market Share |
| Total Regional Volume (Chainalysis) | ~$1.5 trillion in crypto volume recorded from July 2022 to June 2025 |
| Leading Regional Markets | Brazil ($318.8B), Argentina ($93.9B), Mexico ($71.2B), Venezuela ($44.6B), Colombia ($44.2B) |
| Fiat-to-Stablecoin Share | Over 50% of exchange trades involving COP, ARS, and BRL involved stablecoins |
| Platform Retail Preference (Bitso) | Dollar-backed tokens represented 40% of platform purchases, surpassing Bitcoin (18%) |
As businesses look to avoid currency devaluation and reduce international remittance friction, Tether’s funding of EFY Finance establishes deeper distribution channels to position USDT and USAT as dominant corporate settlement layers in the region.