Tether, through its investment arm, has made a strategic investment in Whop, a fintech platform operating as a marketplace for creators and entrepreneurs to scale internet markets with stablecoins, according to a Wednesday announcement.
As part of the deal, Whop will integrate Tether’s Wallet Development Kit (WDK) to offer self-custodial wallets with built-in support for dollar-denominated stablecoins. Users on the platform will be able to transact using either USDT or the company’s new USAT token.
Stablecoins deliver greater value when integrated into daily financial and commercial activities, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said in a statement. He noted that Tether’s partnership with WHOP supports a digital dollar infrastructure aimed at improving payment speed, accessibility, and economic participation.
Whop CEO Steven Schwartz said the partnership would allow payments to “move as freely as the internet itself.”
The wallet integration will enable on-chain settlement and introduce DeFi features such as lending and borrowing. Tether’s open-source development kit supports multiple assets, including Bitcoin and the Lightning Network.
Founded in 2021 by Brooklyn-based entrepreneurs Steven Schwartz and Cameron Zoub, Whop is an all-in-one social commerce platform designed for selling digital products. It serves as a modern alternative to tools like Shopify or Patreon by focusing on digital native assets.
The platform has attracted more than 18 million users and facilitated roughly $3 billion in annual payouts across 144 countries.
Tether’s investment will support Whop’s expansion across Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, along with the development of AI tools aimed at generating new income streams for users.
Tether’s broader network now reaches more than 530 million users globally, with the company reporting over $180 billion in issued digital dollars. The El Salvador-based investment unit has deployed capital across sectors, such as energy, biotechnology, and digital media.