Tether-Backed Oobit Expands Crypto Payments to Colombia

Oobit has extended its non-custodial crypto payments platform into Colombia, marking the ninth live market for the Tether-backed payments company as it deepens its footprint across Latin America. The rollout aligns with a broader regional shift toward stablecoins and crypto-based purchases, with Chainalysis data cited in the announcement showing the Colombian peso ranking second globally in centralized-exchange stablecoin purchases by currency.

Oobit enables users to spend digital assets directly from their wallets through a Visa-linked payment network that it says is accepted by more than 150 million merchants across over 80 countries. The platform emphasizes on-wallet spending without converting funds through traditional bank off-ramps, offering what it describes as a smoother, crypto-first checkout for everyday purchases.

Key takeaways

• Colombia becomes Oobit’s ninth live market, with Brazil showing the strongest early momentum since its November 2024 launch—activity there has risen more than 200%, and active users are spending about $400 per month across roughly 20 transactions.
• USDT accounts for the largest share of on-platform transactions, outpacing Oobit’s native token and USDC, underscoring the peso market’s preference for dollar-linked stablecoins in daily spending.
• Across LATAM, grocery purchases drive a substantial portion of activity (about 35%), with Brazil expanding usage into gas stations, beauty shops, and electronics retailers.
• The broader Latin American payments trend toward stablecoins is accelerating, with Mercado Libre launching stablecoin-based transfers in Brazil, Mexico, and Chile using its Meli Dollar token, and Bitso reporting stablecoins comprising a sizable share of 2025 crypto purchases.
• DefiLlama’s latest figures show the global stablecoin market expanding from roughly $243 billion to over $322 billion, highlighting the growing scale of stablecoins in crypto markets; observers also point to Bitcoin’s role as everyday money in parts of Africa as evidence of broader adoption patterns.

LATAM expansion and usage patterns

Colombia’s entry for Oobit places the country alongside its existing Latin American footprint, which includes Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The company highlighted Chainalysis data indicating that the peso ranks second globally in the share of centralized-exchange stablecoin purchases by currency, signaling a pronounced inclination toward dollar-stable instruments for on-chain spending in the region.

On the ground, Oobit said activity in Brazil has surged since its market launch there in November 2024. Reported figures show more than a 200% increase in platform activity, with active Brazilian users spending an average of about $400 per month across 20 transactions. These metrics reflect a growing comfort level with crypto payments among everyday consumers who previously relied on traditional means for purchases.

USDT leads platform activity and what shoppers are buying

Within Oobit’s ecosystem, USDT (Tether) accounted for the largest slice of transactions, outpacing the platform’s native token and USDC. The preference for USDT aligns with broader regional trends toward stablecoins as a means of reducing volatility and expediting cross-border payments in LATAM markets where local fiat currencies can be volatile or constrained by banking friction.

In terms of spending categories, groceries and supermarkets made up about 35% of activity across Oobit’s Latin American footprint. The mix also includes dining out and retail purchases, with consumer behavior in Brazil extending beyond groceries to include gas stations, beauty shops, and electronics retailers as acceptance of crypto-based payments grows.

Oobit’s approach—allowing direct wallet-to-merchant payments without traditional off-ramps—appeals to users seeking speed and convenience, while merchants gain access to a broader, crypto-enabled customer base. The company’s announcement also noted the reach of its Visa-linked system, designed to facilitate broad merchant acceptance for crypto-backed payments.

Regional momentum: stablecoins become everyday money

The LATAM story sits within a wider pattern of stablecoin adoption for routine payments. In April, Mercado Libre, Latin America’s largest online marketplace, launched stablecoin-based transfers between Brazil, Mexico, and Chile using its Meli Dollar token. The token is operable within Mercado Libre’s ecosystem and can be issued as cashback to users, illustrating how e-commerce platforms are integrating stablecoins into their commerce and loyalty structures.

These developments sit alongside a 2025 Bitso report showing stablecoins accounting for about 40% of crypto purchases on its platform, more than double Bitcoin’s 18% share. Bitso’s data point to an increasingly prominent role for dollar-linked stablecoins in everyday crypto activity across the region, reinforcing Oobit’s Colombia expansion as part of a broader regional shift.

DefiLlama’s consolidated data adds another layer to the narrative: the global stablecoin market has grown from roughly $243 billion a year ago to more than $322 billion today. This growth underscores how stablecoins have evolved from a niche instrument into a foundational element of regional crypto commerce, particularly in markets where traditional financial rails can be uneven or expensive.

Beyond Latin America, the story of crypto-enabled payments is evolving in other regions as well. In parts of Africa, for example, Bitcoin is being described as an everyday money option by some merchants and users, illustrating a broader diversification in how digital assets are used for daily transactions rather than as purely investment vehicles. This trend is highlighted in industry discussions and related coverage on stablecoin and crypto payments dynamics across emerging markets.

For readers seeking broader context on related developments, coverage on Kast’s recent funding round signals continued investor interest in stablecoin-based payments startups, underscoring the growing convergence of payments and crypto infrastructure in the global market.

Analysts and observers note that the LATAM push by Oobit and peers occurs at a pivotal moment for crypto payments, where non-custodial usage, stablecoins, and merchant acceptance are increasingly intertwined with consumer habits and merchant incentives. The momentum suggests a shift away from purely on-exchange trading toward practical on-chain spending that leverages crypto for everyday purchases, while regulators monitor consumer protection and transparency in stablecoin markets.

Looking ahead, observers will be watching how Oobit scales in Colombia and whether similar non-custodial protocols gain traction in other markets with evolving financial infrastructure. Questions remain about how regulatory developments, local fiat liquidity, and merchant onboarding will shape the pace and breadth of adoption in the near term.

Readers should keep an eye on how Mercado Libre’s Meli Dollar strategy evolves and how Bitso’s regional data may foreshadow further diversification of stablecoins into daily commerce. As stablecoins integrate deeper into consumer ecosystems, the balance between convenience, risk management, and regulatory clarity will likely become the defining dynamic for investors and users alike.