Did Tether Sell Bitcoin For Gold? CEO Paolo Ardoino Reveals Truth – This week’s swirling rumors claimed that the firm behind the world’s most widely used stablecoin had liquidated a portion of its Bitcoin reserves to purchase gold. A sensational post by a popular YouTuber sparked the speculation, but Tether’s executives and industry insiders quickly set the record straight.

Did Tether Sell Bitcoin For Gold? CEO Paolo Ardoino Reveals Truth

The viral claim began when Clive Thompson, a well‑known crypto commentator, dissected BDO’s audit reports and pointed out a seemingly dramatic dip in Tether’s Bitcoin holdings between the first and second quarters of 2025. According to the raw numbers, the balance fell from:

• Q1 2025 (March 31): 92,650 BTC
• Q2 2025 (June 30): 83,274 BTC

On the surface, this implied a hostile sell‑off of over 9,000 BTC, which Thompson suggested might have been swapped for gold. However, the data were misinterpreted.

What Actually Happened

Samson Mow, CEO of Jan3, leveraged Twitter to clarify the misunderstanding. He revealed that Tether had reallocated a segment of its stash to the company’s long‑term investment vehicle, XXI. The transfers unfolded as follows:

• June 2 2025: 14,000 BTC moved to XXI
• July 2025: 5,800 BTC moved to XXI

When adjusting for these internal movements, Tether’s net Bitcoin position at the close of Q2 actually grew by roughly 10,424 BTC compared to the Q1 end. Mow quipped, “This seems to be part of a growing appetite for bearish Bitcoin headlines. Tether remains profoundly bullish on Bitcoin across all metrics.”

CEO Paolo Ardoino Sets the Record Straight

Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino echoed Mow’s clarification in a concise X‑post:

“Correct. Tether did not sell any Bitcoin. As Samson explained, it contributed part of its stash into XXI. While the world continues to get darker, Tether will continue to invest part of its profits into safe assets like Bitcoin, Gold and Land.”

Ardoino reinforced that Bitcoin remains the core of Tether’s asset strategy, with profits earmarked for further investment in Bitcoin, gold, and real estate—venues the company regards as reliable stores of value.

Why It Matters

This situation underscores Tether’s enormous influence across the crypto ecosystem. With its flagship stablecoin USDT ranking among the most traded instruments worldwide, any change in Tether’s investment posture reverberates quickly among traders, regulators, and market watchers alike.

Curious about how stablecoins shape the broader crypto landscape? Explore our comprehensive guide for deeper insights.