Tether CEO Paolo Ardoinino revealed that the company owns around $ 8 billion gold in a Swiss safe during an interview with Bloomberg News on July 7.
Ardoino called the site ‘the most safe safe in the world’ and said that the company owns almost the entire 80-ton storage pile, so that the ELVADOR-based issue was placed worldwide with the largest private golden holders worldwide.
According to a March certificate, almost 5% of the $ 112 billion reserve portfolio from Tether was now. The dollar value of the stock corresponds to the book Precious Metals at UBS Group AG, one of the few banks that break out these companies.
Tether’s USDT achieved a market capitalization of $ 159 billion last month, after nearly $ 5 billion in monthly growth.
Ardoino argued that Tether can scales a GOLD program without relatively higher costs by using self-coastal metal instead of commercial safe operators, which charge around 50 basis points.
Regulatory headwind in important markets
Legislers on both sides of the Atlantic move in the opposite direction. Design of American accounts such as the Genius ACT and the European markets in Crypto-Assets (MICA) framework, only allow cash or near-green instruments to undertake Fiat-Referred Stablecoins, excluding raw materials such as gold.
If those rules come into effect and are looking for tether licenses in those jurisdictions, it should liquidate the precious metal that USDT supports, although the company could retain metal bound to his gold -supported token, Xaut.
Mica in particular granted licenses to 53 crypto companies in the first six months of the regulations but excluded tether.
Xaut is circulating against 7.7 tons of gold, worth around $ 819 million, which is far below 950 tons of giant under listed gold funds, but large enough to make repayments viable at vault doors in Switzerland.
Ardoino said that the question could accelerate if investors lose confidence in American tax sustainability and seek alternatives that avoid the risk of bank deposits while staying on-chain.
Market context and prospects for Gallion-linked tokens
Spot Gold made up by approximately 25% in 2025, because traders cover tariff -controlled trade friction and wider geopolitical voltage.
Ardoino said:
“Every central bank in the BRICS countries buys gold, so that is why the price has risen in our opinion.”
Tether still has to convince regulators that a metal -heavy reserve would not hinder the liquidity of USDT under stress.
For now the company holds the metal, earns the yield on Treasurys and holds a separate token direct convertible in vaulted bars, where traditional precious metal economy is combined with blockchain settlement.