Tether has made a strategic investment in Ledn, one of the leading providers of bitcoin-backed consumer loans, in a move aimed at expanding access to credit secured by digital assets, the firm said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.
The size of the investment is not disclosed. Tether declined to provide further details when contacted by CoinDesk.
The investment is part of Tether’s efforts to support real-world financial services built on digital asset rails. Bitcoin-backed lending allows users to access liquidity without selling BTC to unlock short-term capital.
In 2022, Ledn survived an implosion of the crypto-backed lending sector, which saw the likes of BlockFi, Voyager, Celsius and Genesis collapse.
The Cayman Islands-registered company has streamlined its service to a bitcoin-only model to simplify its offering and sharpen its focus.
Ledn, which has originated over $2.8 billion in BTC-backed loans since launch, is heading for its strongest year yet. More than $1 billion in loans have been issued in 2025, including $392 million in Q3, which is nearly the company’s entire 2024 volume.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the investment reflects a commitment to financial empowerment through self-custody credit.
