Mercado Bitcoin Issues $20M in Private Credit on Bitcoin Sidechain

Edgen Crypto

·Feb 04 2026, 13:50

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Key Takeaways

Brazilian exchange Mercado Bitcoin is expanding its real-world asset (RWA) operations by issuing tokenized private credit on the Bitcoin network. This move signals growing institutional adoption of Bitcoin sidechains for complex financial products in Latin America.

Initial Issuance: The firm has already issued over $20 million in tokenized private credit instruments.
Strategic Goal: Mercado Bitcoin is targeting $100 million in total issuances on the platform by April 2026.
Technical Foundation: The tokenization utilizes Rootstock, a Bitcoin sidechain, demonstrating a key use case for the network beyond value transfer.

Mercado Bitcoin Issues Over $20M in Tokenized Credit

Brazil's leading digital asset exchange, Mercado Bitcoin, has successfully issued more than $20 million in tokenized private credit. The move represents a significant step into the tokenization of Real World Assets (RWAs), converting traditional financial instruments into digital tokens tradable on a blockchain.

The issuance was executed on Rootstock, a prominent sidechain that adds smart contract functionality to the Bitcoin network. This choice highlights a strategic decision to leverage the security and brand recognition of Bitcoin for advanced financial products, expanding its utility beyond a simple store of value.

Firm Targets $100M Issuance by April 2026

This initial $20 million issuance is the first phase of a more ambitious strategy. Mercado Bitcoin announced a target to scale its tokenized private credit operations to $100 million by April 2026. This aggressive growth plan underscores the firm's confidence in the RWA market as a major revenue driver and its intent to solidify its leadership in the Latin American digital asset space.

By tokenizing private credit, Mercado Bitcoin aims to create more liquid, accessible, and efficient markets for traditionally illiquid assets. This initiative validates Bitcoin sidechains as a viable platform for institutional finance and could unlock new investment opportunities in the region.