Key Takeaways
- • Oobit, a Tether-backed non-custodial crypto payments platform, launched in Colombia as its ninth active market, expanding its Latin American footprint across Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and other territories.
- • Colombian peso ranked second globally in centralized exchange stablecoin purchases by currency, signaling strong institutional and retail demand for digital asset spending in the market.
- • Oobit's platform connects users' crypto wallets directly to Visa-linked payment systems reaching 150+ million merchants across 80+ countries, enabling stablecoin spending without traditional banking off-ramps.
- • Tether (USDT) dominates transaction volume on the platform, followed by Oobit's native token (OOB) and USD Coin (USDC); grocery stores and supermarkets account for 35% of spending across Latin American markets.
- • Brazil represents Oobit's strongest performing market since November 2024 launch, with active user spending rising over 200%, demonstrating accelerating stablecoin adoption for everyday commerce across Latin America.
Summary
Oobit, the cryptocurrency payments platform backed by Tether, has expanded its non-custodial payment services into Colombia, marking the company's ninth operational market globally and its latest push into Latin America's rapidly growing digital asset ecosystem. The Colombia launch follows successful deployments in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, positioning the platform at the center of a regional shift toward stablecoin-based commerce.
The timing of the Colombia expansion is strategically significant: Chainalysis data cited in the announcement reveals that the Colombian peso ranks second globally in the share of centralized exchange stablecoin purchases by currency, indicating that both retail and institutional participants in the market are actively accumulating digital assets denominated in U.S. dollars. This metric suggests Colombia represents a high-conviction market opportunity for crypto payments infrastructure.
Oobit's platform operates on a non-custodial model, connecting users' cryptocurrency wallets directly to Visa-linked payment systems without requiring intermediation through traditional banking channels or crypto-to-fiat off-ramp services. The infrastructure reaches more than 150 million merchants across more than 80 countries, effectively giving Colombian stablecoin holders access to a merchant network spanning nearly every commerce category. On the platform, Tether (USDT) captures the largest share of transaction volume, followed by Oobit's native token (OOB) and USD Coin (USDC).
Merchant category data reveals that grocery stores and supermarkets account for 35% of spending across Oobit's Latin American markets, with restaurants, food retailers, and department stores comprising the next tier of transaction activity. Brazil, Oobit's most mature market since its November 2024 launch, has demonstrated the strongest growth trajectory, with active user spending surging over 200% and users accessing gas stations, beauty shops, and electronics retailers alongside traditional retail categories.
The Colombia launch occurs within a broader regional acceleration in stablecoin adoption for everyday commerce. Mercado Libre, Latin America's largest online marketplace by revenue, launched stablecoin-based transfers between Brazil, Mexico, and Chile in April 2026 using its proprietary Meli Dollar token, which functions as both a settlement mechanism within its ecosystem and a cashback distribution vehicle. A 2025 Bitso report found that U.S. dollar-linked stablecoins comprised 40% of crypto purchases on the exchange platform, underscoring the structural shift toward stable-value digital assets for transaction purposes across the region.
The timing of the Colombia expansion is strategically significant: Chainalysis data cited in the announcement reveals that the Colombian peso ranks second globally in the share of centralized exchange stablecoin purchases by currency, indicating that both retail and institutional participants in the market are actively accumulating digital assets denominated in U.S. dollars. This metric suggests Colombia represents a high-conviction market opportunity for crypto payments infrastructure.
Oobit's platform operates on a non-custodial model, connecting users' cryptocurrency wallets directly to Visa-linked payment systems without requiring intermediation through traditional banking channels or crypto-to-fiat off-ramp services. The infrastructure reaches more than 150 million merchants across more than 80 countries, effectively giving Colombian stablecoin holders access to a merchant network spanning nearly every commerce category. On the platform, Tether (USDT) captures the largest share of transaction volume, followed by Oobit's native token (OOB) and USD Coin (USDC).
Merchant category data reveals that grocery stores and supermarkets account for 35% of spending across Oobit's Latin American markets, with restaurants, food retailers, and department stores comprising the next tier of transaction activity. Brazil, Oobit's most mature market since its November 2024 launch, has demonstrated the strongest growth trajectory, with active user spending surging over 200% and users accessing gas stations, beauty shops, and electronics retailers alongside traditional retail categories.
The Colombia launch occurs within a broader regional acceleration in stablecoin adoption for everyday commerce. Mercado Libre, Latin America's largest online marketplace by revenue, launched stablecoin-based transfers between Brazil, Mexico, and Chile in April 2026 using its proprietary Meli Dollar token, which functions as both a settlement mechanism within its ecosystem and a cashback distribution vehicle. A 2025 Bitso report found that U.S. dollar-linked stablecoins comprised 40% of crypto purchases on the exchange platform, underscoring the structural shift toward stable-value digital assets for transaction purposes across the region.
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