The ounce price of gold rose above the $5,000 level again, and the safe haven demand created by this rise began to be felt in the market again. In this environment, it seems that the risk perception in the cryptocurrency sector may be rapidly reshaped in a short time and the attractiveness of traditional assets increases. It is stated that recently, the search for hedging (risk reduction) has become widespread through blockchain-based platforms.
Details of Tether and Gold.com Cooperation
Tether announced that it purchased approximately 12 percent of Gold.com shares with a total investment of $150 million and plans to integrate its gold-linked token XAU₮ into the Gold.com platform. The company will purchase 3 million 371 thousand shares at a value of $44.50 per share. Tether also announced an additional $20 million investment in Gold.com’s XAU₮ token.
Gold.com operates in the retail physical precious metals space; It offers well-equipped solutions such as bars, coins and physical delivery. Tether, on the other hand, defines this partnership as an opportunity to increase global distribution of tokenized and physical gold. In the statements made by Gold.com, it is emphasized that XAU₮ will be an important part of the platform.
The Place of Gold and Treasury Tokens in the Crypto Ecosystem
USDT, released by Tether, is considered the standard for meeting cash needs in the crypto world. XAU₮, on the other hand, is positioned in the “hedge” role in portfolios. The acquisition of Gold.com enables gold to be delivered directly to crypto users in both tokenized and physical form, providing access to gold without having to exit the crypto payment cycle. Thus, users get the opportunity to buy tokenized or physical gold using their USDT balance.
The total market size of the tokenized gold market has approached approximately $6 billion and has grown significantly since the beginning of the year. However, there are also concerns from users regarding ownership, custody, redemption rights and regulatory control in the market.
Among blockchain-based risk mitigation tools, tokenized Treasury bills stand out as much as gold. As of February 2025, the market for tokenized Treasury bills totaled $10.6 billion; Approximately 65 thousand investors use these products and the weekly annual return rate moves around 3.16 percent. This new structure, in which real-world assets are transferred to the blockchain system, is considered important for both professional investors and individual users who prioritize return.
Consumer Dimension: What Do You Own?
It is noteworthy that those who invest in tokenized gold actually have the commitment of both the gold and the issuing institution. Here, issues such as where the physical gold is kept, whether it is independently audited, and how it can be physically received if desired, play a decisive role. Additionally, regulatory jurisdiction is key to how ownership is defined.
Tether purchased approximately 27 metric tons of gold in the fourth quarter, and these purchases are included as part of its reserves. The company’s CEO states that they plan to allocate 10 to 15 percent of the investment portfolio to physical gold.
Tether states that they aim to place gold in the reserves with the same importance as treasury bills and cash equivalents, and that they want the XAU₮ token to be as central a user asset as USDT.
It is stated that the strategy of offering both tokenized and physical gold to users through the Gold.com platform has the potential to bring the products to a wider audience. However, there is a risk that the project may be disrupted if the ease of access, geographical boundaries and amortization processes are not clear.
