Mercado Bitcoin secures US$20M Series C from Tether and SoftBank
Brazil's largest digital asset platform Mercado Bitcoin announced a US$20 million investment from Tether as the first close of its Series C funding round. SoftBank, a shareholder since the company achieved unicorn status in 2021, also participated alongside the founders.
Founded in 2013 by Roberto Dagnoni, Gustavo Chamati, Mauricio Chamati, and Rodrigo Batista, Mercado Bitcoin has processed more than US$30 million in transactions and serves 4.5 million users. The platform offers trading, tokenized assets, credit, stablecoin payments, and banking services.
The timing reflects a broader shift in financial services toward blockchain infrastructure, with Brazil establishing itself as the region's most mature cryptocurrency market. Mercado Bitcoin operates with more than 10 licenses in Brazil and Europe, including a payment institution license from Brazil's central bank.
The capital will expand payment infrastructure, scale tokenized investment products for retail and institutional investors, strengthen credit operations, and develop on-chain capital markets. Tokenization, the conversion of traditional assets into blockchain-registered tokens, sits at the center of the company's growth strategy.
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Roberto Dagnoni, founder and CEO, said the debate over whether financial services will migrate to on-chain infrastructure has ended. The transition is already underway. The focus now centers on building infrastructure capable of supporting tokenization, stablecoins, payments, and capital markets at scale.
Why Brazil's on-chain finance boom will reshape regional tech talent needs
The shift toward blockchain-based financial infrastructure in Brazil creates immediate implications for employers building teams in the digital finance sector. Companies require professionals who understand both traditional financial services and distributed ledger technology, a combination that remains scarce across Latin America.
Mercado Bitcoin's expansion signals growing demand for specialists in payment systems architecture, tokenization protocols, regulatory compliance for digital assets, and on-chain capital markets operations. The platform's multiple licenses, including central bank authorization, indicate that regulatory expertise will prove as critical as technical blockchain knowledge.
Brazil's regulatory environment, characterized by active oversight and clear frameworks, differentiates it from other Latin American markets. This clarity attracts institutional capital but demands teams capable of navigating complex compliance requirements while building scalable technology. Employers competing in this market must address fintech talent demand through compensation strategies reflecting both the scarcity of qualified professionals and the premium placed on regulatory fluency.
The platform's 4.5 million users and significant transaction volume require robust engineering, risk management, and customer operations teams. As Mercado Bitcoin expands into institutional products and on-chain capital markets, the talent profile will shift further toward professionals with traditional financial markets experience who can bridge legacy systems and blockchain infrastructure.
GENTY's building teams in Brazil's digital finance sector guide offers additional context for employers planning their next hires. GENTY's fintech talent demand in Brazil guide offers additional context for employers planning their next hires.
Tokenization and blockchain infrastructure: the next fintech hiring frontier in LATAM
Tether's investment supports regulated platforms functioning as infrastructure for mass stablecoin adoption in emerging markets. Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, noted that Mercado Bitcoin has built a regulated, integrated on-chain financial services platform serving millions in one of the world's most dynamic financial markets, with licensing and tokenization infrastructure unmatched in Latin America.
In countries experiencing high inflation and currency volatility, USDT has become a daily tool for saving and transferring value, with Latin America accounting for significant global usage. This adoption pattern creates workforce planning challenges: teams must combine expertise in stablecoin mechanics, cross-border payment rails, treasury management, and local banking integration.
Tokenized assets introduce further complexity. Converting traditional securities, credit instruments, and other financial products into blockchain-registered tokens requires professionals who understand securities law, custody requirements, smart contract security, and secondary market operations. As Mercado Bitcoin scales these products for retail and institutional investors, talent requirements extend beyond engineering to legal specialists, compliance officers, and product managers with capital markets experience.
Brazil's position as a testing ground for digital finance innovation, supported by regulatory clarity and high digital adoption, positions the country as a talent hub for the broader Latin American market. Employers entering or expanding in this sector must account for extended hiring timelines, competitive compensation benchmarks driven by limited supply, and ongoing training as blockchain infrastructure and regulatory frameworks evolve.
The Series C round reflects a structural shift in how financial services will be delivered across Latin America. For employers, this translates into sustained demand for hybrid talent profiles, pressure on compensation structures, and the strategic imperative to build teams capable of operating at the intersection of traditional finance and blockchain infrastructure.