Tether began 2026 by adding 8,888.88 BTC to its treasury as part of its profit allocation for the fourth quarter of 2025, according to CEO Paolo Ardoino.
The transfer, worth about $780 million at current prices, solidifies a strategy that has quietly turned the world’s largest stablecoin issuer into one of bitcoin’s largest corporate owners.
The purchase follows a policy Tether introduced in 2023 to allocate up to 15% of its realized quarterly operating profit to bitcoin purchases, effectively making the company a systematic accumulator rather than an opportunistic buyer.
These accumulations matter because Tether’s profits are directly tied to the cash-like assets backing USDT, primarily short-term US Treasuries and repos. This means that higher rates and strong demand for stablecoins can translate into more operating profit and, by extension, more bitcoin purchases.
Unlike corporate buyers who raise capital specifically to buy BTC, Tether’s approach is closer to an internal finance strategy.
It uses excess earnings to diversify reserves without touching the assets backing its stablecoin liabilities, while still retaining the bulk of its backing in highly liquid instruments.
The timing is also noteworthy. Bitcoin has struggled to maintain year-end rallies, with liquidity thinning across venues and uneven risk appetite.
BTC was trading around $89,000 at noon in Hong Kong.
