Tether became a “gold vacuum cleaner”

Tether, the corporate that points the stablecoins USDT (pegged to the US greenback) and XAUT (pegged to gold), has intensified its technique of accumulating bodily gold, positioning itself as one of many most important holders of the steel globally.

In keeping with a report for purchasers from the funding financial institution Jefferies that was launched in the present day, February 9 and was cited by varied media, Tether’s bodily gold reserves reached a minimum of 148 tons as of January 31, 2026with an approximate worth of 23,000 million {dollars}.

This determine outcomes from the acquisition of round 26 tons throughout the fourth quarter of 2025 and one other extra 6 tons in January 2026, which provides as much as an estimated whole of 32 tons in that interval.

These acquisitions have allowed Tether exceed the official gold reserves of nations similar to Australia, United Arab EmiratesQatar, South Korea and Greece, putting it among the many 30 largest international bullion holders.

Construction and evolution of Tether gold reserves

The size of those purchases locations Tether in an uncommon place for a non-public firm, in a context the place nations’ central banks historically dominate international demand for the steel.

This dynamic has made Tether a real “gold vacuum cleaner” within the international market, absorbing important volumes at a fee that surpasses that of many state actors.

Within the certification comparable to the fourth quarter of 2025, the corporate said that, on the finish of that yr, Tether already had gold reserves valued at about $17 billion, equal to roughly 126 tons at then costs.

The construction included ingots of various sizes: 1,291 models of 12.5 kg (519,317 troy ounces), 15 of 1 kg (482,220 troy ounces) and 18 of 0.5 kg (289,332 troy ounces), as seen within the following desk. The troy ounce is the worldwide normal unit of weight for treasured metals similar to gold and is used to make sure accuracy in international measurements.

Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, confirmed this technique in January, as reported by CriptoNoticias. The corporate buys gold at a fee of 1 or two tons per week and plans to take care of this degree for the approaching months.

Ardoino has described the aim of positioning Tether as one of many main holders of gold globally, much like the position of a central financial institution.

Concentrate on bodily gold and safety

Tether prioritizes holding bodily gold, which is saved in a former nuclear bunker situated in Switzerland, owned by Tether, and guarded by a number of layers of safety, together with thick metal doorways. The corporate has not revealed additional particulars concerning the precise location or different particular traits. from the positioning for safety causes. In keeping with Ardoino, this set up ensures the integrity of the asset.

The chief has emphasised that gold is valued for its liquidity and for being a reserve asset with out counterparty debt.

This imaginative and prescient is a part of a interval of sturdy revaluation of gold, which reached a historic most above $5,500 per ounce on the finish of January 2026, pushed by the seek for protected havens within the face of macroeconomic uncertainty and diversification away from the US greenback. Though the value underwent subsequent corrections, it stays at $5,000 per ounce in February 2026, as seen within the chart.

Tether reveals its monetary place

Tether’s certification stories as of year-end 2025 present a strong monetary basis supporting these acquisitions: whole belongings and reserves of $192 billionover 6.3 billion in extra reserves and 100% backing in liquid belongings for all tokens issued.

This assist, along with gold, is supported by United States Treasury bonds valued at 122 billion {dollars}. Tether is among the world’s largest holders of US debt. Likewise in bitcoin (BTC) with 96,184 BTC, valued at round $8.4 billion, in keeping with its report for the fourth quarter of 2025.

Diversification combines stability (bonds and money) with publicity to store-of-value belongings (gold and bitcoin). Its personal funding portfolio exceeds $20 billion, which offers the capability to proceed with the gold accumulation technique within the brief and medium time period.

This transfer displays a strategic diversification in Tether’s stability sheet, combining its position within the stablecoin ecosystem with rising publicity to store-of-value belongings.