Tether, the giant name of the cryptocurrency market, continues to shake global financial balances by switching to the yellow metal within the scope of its strategy to diversify its reserves. The current report published by Jefferies, one of Wall Street’s respected investment banks, reveals that the gold stocks of the stablecoin issuer exceeded 23 billion dollars, leaving many developed countries behind. This huge accumulation, which reached approximately 148 tons as of the end of January, strengthens the digital asset world’s bond with traditional safe havens more than ever.
Huge Gold Reserves Surpassing States
According to data from Jefferies analysts, Tether increased its total gold assets to 148 tons by adding 26 tons in the last quarter of 2025 and 6 tons in January. This figure places the company among the 30 largest gold holders worldwide; It dwarfs even the central bank reserves of countries such as Australia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Greece. The company’s acquisition speed during this period remains behind only the central banks of Poland and Brazil worldwide, proving how a corporate structure can become a financial power on a state scale.
The fact that the company is a private organization raises the possibility that the announced figure of 148 tons is actually a lower limit. While the report emphasizes that additional purchases may have been made on Tether’s balance sheet that were not publicly disclosed, it is stated that the current reserves support both the dollar-indexed USDT and the gold-based XAUT token. The supply of XAUT reached $3.2 billion as of the end of January, reflecting the intense interest of individual investors, especially in emerging markets, in digital assets based on physical gold.
This strategic move, which took place at a time when gold prices exceeded the $ 5,000 per ounce threshold and reached historical peaks, provided Tether with a significant increase in value. The yellow metal, which has gained nearly 50% in value since September, is supported by central banks’ efforts to move away from the dollar and rising bond yields. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated that they plan to allocate 10% to 15% of their investment portfolio to physical gold, signaling that the company’s aggressive attitude in this area will continue in the coming period.
Strategic Portfolio Management and Future Goals
Tether’s investment strategy is seen not only as a race to accumulate assets, but also as an effort to create a shield against global economic uncertainties. The institution, which has an investment portfolio worth $20 billion as of the end of last year, aims to maintain the stability of USDT by fortifying its cash reserves with physical assets. As Ardoino has previously highlighted, high inflation and currency devaluations in developing countries are fueling demand for gold-based digital solutions.
The process of accumulating gold shows that Tether has become not just a software or technology company, but also one of the largest commodity players in the world. The Jefferies report points out that the rapid increase in the amount of gold, which appears as 126 tons in the company’s fourth quarter certification report, is a result of operational agility. Such rapid growth of institutional reserves opens the doors to a new era in the integration of the cryptocurrency ecosystem with the traditional financial system.
While the company is expected to continue purchasing gold in the coming period, it is a matter of curiosity how this situation will affect the supply-demand balance in the global gold market. The fact that a non-state actor is stockpiling precious metals at a level that rivals that of sovereign nations is considered the most concrete indicator that the rules are being rewritten in the financial world. Jefferies analysts predict that this move by Tether may set a precedent for other stablecoin issuers.
