In a strategic move, Tether has shifted its reserve strategy, reducing its exposure to treasuries while increasing allocations to Bitcoin and gold. The USDT issuer has shown a notable reduction in government debt exposure, paired with an expanded position in hard assets known for durability and independence from traditional financial systems. Treasury Exposure Drops Amid Changing Macro And Regulatory Landscape Stablecoin giant, Tether, has reduced its US Treasury holdings and increased its Gold and Bitcoin reserves. CryptosRus reported on X that Tether is quietly repositioning itself for what the company expects to be the Federal Reserve’s (FED) next round of rate cuts. Related Reading: Rumble At The Core: How Tether Plans To Dominate The US Stablecoin Market According to BitMex founder Arthur Hayes, Tether’s latest reserve update shows a clear shift away from the US treasuries and deeper into BTC and gold, a sign that the company is positioning for a changing macro environment. Furthermore, the Standard & Poor (S&P) Global noted that Tether is now leaning more heavily into assets with larger price swings in value, warning that this mix could expose USDT if markets turn volatile. Meanwhile, the current S&P Global rating on Tether remains weak. Thus, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has pushed back, saying that the company holds no toxic assets. He claims that its rapid growth reflects a broader shift towards new financial systems that operate outside the traditional banking world. Why Attempts To Break Tether Are Difficult In Practice Crypto analyst Ted Pillows has also offered insight into the Tether Fear Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) as it is making its usual rounds again. The narrative is latching onto the company’s latest attestation, showing a notable shift into Gold and Bitcoin to offset declining interest income. Meanwhile, if these risk assets drop by 30%, Tether’s equity buffer could evaporate, creating an environment where Tether will be insolvent, and panic will kick in. Related Reading: Tether Targets $500 Billion Valuation In New Equity Offering Amid US Expansion Plans However, Ted is steadfast and believes that Tether has been through a decade of this same FUD, and USDT is still sitting at $1.00. They’re fully liquid, but they operate on a fractional-reserve model, much like traditional banks. As long as redemptions remain normal, everything will work smoothly. A problem will only arise if there’s an irrational panic, and then liquidity stress could hit quickly. According to Ted, the USDT isn’t fully backed by cash, but it’s backed by a diverse portfolio that includes the US treasuries, yield-generating assets, and some risk assets. This is all scaled to a massive $174 billion stablecoin. “If someone wants to kill USDT, it’s possible, but I highly doubt it,” Ted noted. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Tether, the entity behind the world’s largest stablecoin by market capitalization, USDT, has experienced a downgrade in its rating by S&P Global. This decision, made public on Wednesday, stems from what the agency describes as “persistent gaps in disclosure” and a growing allocation of “high-risk assets” within Tether’s reserves. The assets highlighted include Bitcoin (BTC), gold, corporate bonds, secured loans, and other investments, all of which entail various risks, including credit, market, interest rate, and foreign exchange vulnerabilities. Tether CEO Responds To S&P Downgrade In a recent research note, S&P Global detailed that this upgrade came as part of a new assessment scale implemented in 2023, ranging from 1 to 5. This scale evaluates the risk associated with different stablecoins. Following the assessment, S&P rated Tether’s USDT stablecoin as “5 (weak),” marking it as the lowest possible score and down from its previous rating of “4 (constrained).” S&P expressed concerns regarding the limited insight Tether provides into the creditworthiness of its custodians and counterparties. Related Reading: Has The Bitcoin Price Hit Its Bottom? Key On-Chain Data Signals Potential Rebound Ahead Despite this, Tether’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino, responded in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) stating, “We wear your loathing with pride.” He argued that traditional credit rating methods used by agencies like S&P arose from a system that has faltered, leading regulators to challenge these legacy models. Ardoino contended that Tether stands out as a “overcapitalized” organization within the financial sector, claiming it does not harbor “toxic reserves.” He further suggested that S&P’s methods are better suited for conventional banks and insurers with opaque financial histories, rather than being applicable to digital asset issuers who operate under different reserve structures. Ardoino’s remarks indicate a belief that the agency’s downgrade indicates discomfort within traditional finance toward entities like Tether that aim to transcend a “broken financial system.” The firm’s CEO noted: The traditional finance propaganda machine is growing worried when any company tries to defy the force of gravity of the broken financial system. No company should dare to decouple itself from it. Largest Independent Gold Holder In the aftermath of the downgrade, Tether strongly rejected S&P’s characterizations, emphasizing its resilience through various financial crises, including banking collapses, exchange failures, liquidity challenges, and extreme market fluctuations—all while maintaining full stability and the ability to redeem USDT. Tether also pointed to its issuance of approximately $184 billion worth of USDT, assuring stakeholders that it holds sufficient reserves, including US Treasuries and other assets, to satisfy redemptions. Related Reading: Monad (MON) Price Skyrockets 80%, Emerges As Best Performer Among Top 100 Cryptos Notably, recent reports from the Financial Times reveal that Tether has emerged as the largest independent holder of gold globally, highlighting the firm’s increasing exposure to non-traditional reserve assets. According to the report, the stablecoin issuer bought more gold in the last quarter of the year than any central bank in the world. The figures show that the firm bought 26 tons of gold, adding to its substantial gold reserve of nearly 120 tons. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com