- Tether has invested in EFY Finance’s seed funding round to expand institutional access to dollar-backed stablecoins across Latin America, supporting infrastructure that connects digital assets with local bank accounts, payment networks and cross-border settlement services.
Tether is investing in EFY Finance to expand the use of its USDT stablecoin and USA₮ across Latin America, as financial infrastructure providers work to connect digital dollars with traditional banking and payment systems.
The investment, announced by Tether, forms part of EFY Finance’s seed round. The companies did not disclose the investment amount, the size of the funding round or EFY Finance’s valuation.
EFY Finance provides stablecoin-based cross-border payments, accounts and digital-asset custody. Its services include infrastructure for converting between local currencies and stablecoins, over-the-counter trading, wallets and cards. The company says its network supports more than 12 currencies and payment corridors, with settlements to local accounts in 17 countries.
The deal adds to efforts to make stablecoins useful beyond cryptocurrency trading. Dollar-pegged tokens can be transferred across blockchain networks and used to move value between countries, although converting them into local currency and accessing banking services still depends on available payment infrastructure and local rules.
The expansion comes as financial institutions and payment companies explore stablecoins for settlement and money transfers. Recent developments include Samsung’s planned USDC transfers through Samsung Wallet, which are expected to bring stablecoin transfers to eligible users through an established consumer application.
EFY Finance Targets Businesses and Institutions Across 17 Countries
Tether said EFY Finance serves more than 25,000 active individual and business accounts. The company is licensed as a Digital Asset Service Provider in El Salvador and has an existing presence in Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Panama and Ecuador.
The investment is intended to help EFY expand institutional stablecoin use by connecting digital-dollar services with bank accounts, local payment networks, cards and cross-border settlement. Those connections are particularly relevant for businesses that need to transfer money between markets or manage payments in countries with volatile currencies.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said dollar access remains important across Latin America because of inflation and capital controls in some markets. He described regulated infrastructure, banking connections and distribution as key requirements for making stablecoins easier to use.
EFY Finance co-founder and CEO Andrés Tobón said the company is focused on integrating stablecoins into financial systems that businesses already use. Tether’s investment, he said, would support efforts to expand institutional access to USD₮ and USA₮.
The two tokens have different issuer arrangements. USD₮, commonly known as USDT, is Tether’s established dollar-linked stablecoin. USA₮ is issued by Anchorage Digital Bank N.A., a federally chartered US bank, with Tether’s support. Tether describes USA₮ as designed for the US market and intended to comply with US regulatory standards.
The distinction matters as regulators develop rules for stablecoin issuers and the institutions that support their use. The Federal Reserve’s proposed stablecoin rules would address reserves, capital and risk management for issuers under its supervision. Those proposals are not final, and their requirements should not be assumed to apply identically to every token or provider operating internationally.
Latin America’s Stablecoin Demand Draws More Infrastructure Investment
Tether cited Chainalysis data showing that Latin America recorded nearly $1.5 trillion in cryptocurrency transaction volume between July 2022 and June 2025. The company also pointed to inflation, currency volatility and capital controls in parts of the region as factors supporting demand for dollar-linked digital assets.
That transaction figure covers cryptocurrency activity broadly; it should not be interpreted as stablecoin payments alone or as the amount processed by EFY Finance. Tether did not provide a separate estimate of the volume EFY handles or a target for how much the investment is expected to increase its transactions.
Stablecoins can offer users exposure to a token designed to track the US dollar, but they are not the same as insured bank deposits or legal tender in every jurisdiction. Users and institutions may still face issuer, custody, redemption, technology and regulatory risks, while access to local-currency withdrawals depends on the service provider and its banking partners.
For EFY Finance, the investment provides backing from a major stablecoin company as it seeks to expand payment and custody services. For Tether, it creates another opportunity to support the infrastructure needed to move its tokens through financial systems outside crypto exchanges.
The companies have not announced a timetable for specific product launches, additional country coverage or measurable adoption targets tied to the investment. The extent to which the deal increases institutional stablecoin usage will depend on EFY’s expansion, banking access and demand from businesses operating across the region.