Tether, the issuer of USDT, has opened talks about putting money into gold mining and the wider gold supply chain, the Financial Times reported on Friday. The discussions cover refining, trading and royalty deals with mining groups.
The move follows Tether’s long record of buying physical gold and building related products. Company leaders say the plan would be another way to recycle profits from their stablecoin business into real assets.
Talks on mining and supply chain
People familiar with the conversations told the Financial Times that Tether has met with several mining firms. The meetings looked at investments in refinery capacity, trading desks and royalty streams tied to mines.
These are not confirmed deals yet. The talks reflect a broader interest inside Tether in owning parts of the gold market beyond holding bars.
What Tether already owns?
Tether already keeps a large stock of physical gold. Its financial statements list $8.7 billion in gold bars stored in a Zurich vault. The company also said it now controls a private vault in Switzerland holding about $8 billion of gold, according to a July report published by us.
In June 2025, Tether paid $89.2 million for a minority stake in Elemental Altus, a public precious metals investment firm.
Gold’s recent run and investor interest
Gold has moved sharply higher this year, and the price topped $3,550 per ounce this week, after rising almost 100% over the last two years. Many crypto native investors see gold as a haven like Bitcoin.
Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino called gold “bitcoin in nature” in a speech at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in May. That framing helps explain why Tether treats gold as a strategic hold.
A broad diversification strategy
Tether has been expanding into many sectors, and the company lends to commodities traders. It has invested in artificial intelligence firms, a Bitcoin treasury company, a brain computer interface business and an agricultural company.
It also bought a stake in Juventus Football Club and has tried to take a more active role in the club’s governance, and these moves are part of a pattern.
Also Read: Tether Acquires 31.9% Stake In Canadian Gold Royalty Firm Elemental’s Outstanding Shares
Tether’s leaders say they want to reinvest the large profits from their stablecoin business into assets that can yield returns or strengthen the firm’s balance sheet.
Scale of profits backing the strategy
Tether’s stablecoin business generates big cash flows, and the company reported more than $13 billion in profit last year. It has already recorded $5.7 billion in profit in the first half of 2025.
Those funds give Tether the flexibility to back new ventures at scale. The company’s size helps explain why mining groups and commodity traders would take the talks seriously.
Market reaction and outside views
Not everyone greets the idea warmly, and the Financial Times quoted one commodity executive who called Tether “the weirdest company I have ever dealt with.”
That comment reflects how unusual it is for a crypto firm to move deeply into the physical commodity world. At the same time, buying stakes in refining and royalty flows can offer steady, fee-like income that differs from holding spot gold.
Tether Gold and its footprint
Tether Gold, XAUT, has grown since launch, and the token is backed 1 to 1 by one troy ounce of gold that meets the London Bullion Market Association standard. Its market cap stands at about $875.67 million, and 24-hour trading volume at $35.3M, according to CoinMarketCap
That product gives crypto users a direct claim on physical gold while remaining inside crypto rails. It also ties the company closer to bullion markets and vault operators.
Tether’s reported talks with miners mark a new chapter in how the company manages its cash and risk. Buying into the gold supply chain would move Tether from a large holder of bullion toward an active investor in mining and refining.
The plan would widen the firm’s reach into traditional commodities and could change how crypto firms think about asset backing and reinvestment.
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