The news
Freemarket, a payments network with offices in London and Dublin, and Axiym launched LIQUI-DT in a release dated September 29, 2026. The service gives verified businesses round-the-clock access to newly minted Tether USDT inside what the companies describe as a regulated payment network.
USDT is a stablecoin, a digital token designed to hold a steady value against the US dollar, issued by Tether. The service works in the primary market, meaning businesses can mint new tokens directly against dollars or burn them to redeem, rather than buying existing tokens from crypto exchanges and trading venues, known as the secondary market.
According to the release, Freemarket provides the fiat payment rails and payment network, Axiym runs the liquidity engine and on-chain settlement layer, and Tether handles issuance. The release states that Tether's role is limited to primary-market issuance and that Tether does not operate the service or provide payment, settlement or compliance functions. Access is restricted to verified customers and subject to know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money-laundering (AML) checks and other eligibility requirements.
The companies said clients have minted or burned more than $300 million in audited trials. The release did not name the auditor, list customers or disclose pricing. It said institutional users and high-volume traders would gain more price certainty and direct liquidity, and that because tokens are minted directly, treasury and compliance teams get clear provenance for internal reporting.
Freemarket called the service a world first and said it is the only non-issuer with both deep fiat infrastructure and live access to USDT minting through regulated partners. That is the company's own claim. Freemarket's website says FreemarketFX Limited is authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and that FreemarketFX Ireland Limited is authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Tether chief executive Paolo Ardoino called compliant access to primary-market stablecoins inside a regulated payment ecosystem "a massive unlock for us" and said it lets Tether sit closer to where payments happen. Andy Lyons, Freemarket's chief growth officer, pointed to USDT's use in emerging markets for remittances, cross-border trade and protection against inflation. Farhad Rassul, Axiym's co-founder and chief business officer, said Axiym's platform embeds AML and monitoring tools.
The numbers
- USDT minted or burned in audited trials (company figure)
- More than $300 million
- Service availability (company claim)
- 24/7
- FreemarketFX Limited FCA firm number
- 585093
Why CEOs should care
For CFOs and treasurers moving money into, out of or between emerging markets, the pitch is a cleaner route to digital dollars: mint and redeem through the issuer's primary market rather than buying tokens on trading venues. Before testing it, ask for the full cost of a round trip, from dollars into USDT and back, including minting, redemption and payment fees. Ask which fiat currencies and blockchains are supported, how long each step takes, and who holds your funds at each stage.
Chief compliance officers and general counsels should confirm that holding and paying in USDT is permitted in every jurisdiction where the company and its counterparties operate, since stablecoin rules differ between the UK, the EU, the US and emerging markets. Ask what provenance records the service provides, which Freemarket entity contracts with you, and what regulated status covers the stablecoin leg as opposed to the fiat leg. The $300 million trial figure is the companies' own, and the auditor was not named, so ask to see the evidence.
Boards and CISOs should treat issuer and operational risk separately. Tether issues the token but does not run the service, so ask how failures, delays or disputed transactions are handled across three companies, and what happens to funds if one partner stops operating. Set limits on how much working capital sits in any single stablecoin at one time.
The bigger picture
Stablecoin issuers and payment firms are trying to move digital dollars from trading into everyday business payments. LIQUI-DT reflects that shift: Tether gains a distribution channel inside a regulated payment network, while Freemarket and Axiym offer businesses a way to reach the issuer without running their own crypto trading operations. Ardoino described USDT as the dominant stablecoin in emerging markets and said companies moving money into, out of and between them now have 24/7 access to newly minted tokens.
What’s next
Watch for published pricing, the first named corporate customers, and the identity of the auditor behind the $300 million trial figure. Also watch whether regulators in the UK, Ireland or the service's target emerging markets comment on primary-market stablecoin access offered through payment firms.
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