Tether Doubles Down: Acquires Minority Stake in Bit2Me, Fuels $34M Mega Investment Round

Tether just placed a big bet on crypto infrastructure—and it's paying in USDT.

The stablecoin giant snapped up a minority stake in Spanish exchange Bit2Me, leading a $34 million funding round that signals deeper institutional claws in Europe's crypto scene.

Why this matters:

When the company behind 70% of stablecoin transactions starts writing checks, the industry pays attention. Tether's move isn't just an investment—it's a chess play for dominance in Eurozone crypto rails.

The cynical take:

Nothing says 'decentralized future' like centralized stablecoin printers buying exchange stakes—but hey, at least they're recycling those 1% yields somewhere useful.

Regulatory Milestone Under MiCA

Bit2Me recently became the first Spanish-speaking crypto exchange to gain regulatory approval under the European Union’s new Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework.

With this designation, Bit2Me is now a registered Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) with Spain’s securities market regulator, the CNMV. This status allows the exchange to legally operate across all 27 EU member states — a key advantage as MiCA begins reshaping how digital asset firms can serve users across Europe.

Tether’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino, said the company was impressed by Bit2Me’s commitment to regulatory compliance, user education, and transparent practices. “Their focus aligns with our mission to create a more open and accessible financial system,” Ardoino said.

Expansion Into Latin America

Beyond Europe, Bit2Me has also set its sights on Latin America — particularly Argentina, where inflation and currency instability have made crypto a popular alternative.

With Tether’s backing, Bit2Me said it aims to expand its infrastructure, grow its user base, and introduce new services tailored to regional needs.

Bit2Me currently serves over 1.2 million users and 7,000 businesses, with transaction volume surpassing €3 billion so far in 2025. Its leaders say Tether’s involvement will fast-track growth across multiple fronts.

According to Bit2Me co-founders Andrei Manuel and Pablo Casadío, joining forces with Tether represents a “transformational moment” that will help with their ability to scale products and services.

Tether Invests in Blockchain Analytics Firm Crystal Intelligence

In July, Tether made a new investment in Crystal Intelligence, a blockchain analytics firm. In a blog post, Tether shares its growing focus on improving transparency and combating illicit use of stablecoins across blockchain networks.

Crystal Intelligence, originally launched by blockchain software firm Bitfury, provides data-driven tools for analyzing blockchain transactions. The firm is used by law enforcement, regulators, and financial institutions to detect and investigate suspicious crypto activity.

With this investment, Tether said it aims to deepen its collaboration with Crystal and further integrate advanced analytics into its compliance and monitoring systems.