Tether invests in Colombian digital-asset fintech EFY Finance to expand institutional stablecoin use in Latin America

Tether has invested in EFY Finance as part of the Colombian fintech’s seed round, with a clear objective: make USD₮ and USA₮ easier to use through regulated infrastructure across Latin America. For PSPs, acquirers, and banks, the point is not the headline number — it is the plumbing behind stablecoin distribution, local settlement, and institutional access.

1. Tether said the investment is meant to accelerate institutional use of USD₮ and USA₮ and to strengthen the infrastructure that connects stablecoins with the traditional financial system across Latin America.
2. EFY Finance provides cross-border payments, accounts, and custody of digital assets based on stablecoins across Latin America. Its stack includes on- and off-ramps for USD₮ and USA₮, OTC services, wallets, and cards in more than 12 currencies and corridors, with settlement to local accounts in 17 countries.
3. The company holds a Digital Asset Service Provider license in El Salvador and says it operates regulated services for more than 25,000 active accounts, covering both individuals and businesses.
4. Tether said EFY Finance is positioned to push the next stage of institutional stablecoin adoption, especially in Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Panama, and Ecuador, where it already has a significant presence.
5. Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, said the gap is regulated infrastructure, banking connections, and real distribution. Andrés Tobón, cofounder and CEO of EFY Finance, said the company is building connections between digital dollars, bank accounts, local payment networks, cards, and cross-border settlement.

Chainalysis said Latin America recorded nearly $1.5 trillion in cryptocurrency transaction volume between July 2022 and June 2025. For anyone selling payment infrastructure into high-risk or cross-border flows, that is the kind of market signal that turns “stablecoins are interesting” into “show me the rails, the licenses, and the settlement endpoints.”