Tether holds 150000 bitcoin chief executive Paolo Ardoino says

Tether holds approximately 150,000 bitcoin valued at $11.5 billion, chief executive officer Paolo Ardoino said during a speech at the Plan ₿ Forum in Lugano, Switzerland. Bitcoin Magazine Markets, Decrypt, and CoinDesk reported that Ardoino stated the company owns give or take 150,000 bitcoin. The figure is roughly 50,000 coins higher than the disclosures in its third-quarter reserve report implied. [1][2][3][4]

Decrypt reported that Tether's third-quarter reserve report implies a balance of 100,060 bitcoin. CoinDesk Tech Security noted that Ardoino did not clarify where the additional 50,000 coins are stored. Holdings that sit outside USDT reserves, such as Tether's corporate investments, would not be listed in its standard reserve reports, according to CoinDesk Tech Security. [2][3]

Bitcoin Magazine Markets and Decrypt both noted that Tether has operated a bitcoin and stablecoin adoption program in Lugano since 2022. Bitcoin Magazine Markets added that the 150,000 bitcoin balance positions Tether among the largest corporate holders of the digital asset. [1][2]

Tether Limited was established in 2014 and issues the Tether stablecoin, USDT, which is backed 1:1 by fiat currencies. USDT functions as a primary source of market liquidity, with circulating tokens exceeding $170 billion by 2025. [13]