Tether Targets $500 Billion Valuation with Record Fundraising Plan

Prime Highlights:

Tether is planning a major fundraising round that could value the company at around $500 billion, putting it on par with global giants like SpaceX and OpenAI.
CEO Paolo Ardoino confirmed the plan, saying the funds would support growth in areas such as stablecoins, AI, energy, and communications.

Key Facts:

Tether is looking to raise $15–20 billionfor about a 3% stake through a private placement.
Its main stablecoin, USDT, is pegged to the U.S. dollar and recently crossed a market cap of $172 billion, far ahead of rival USDC at $74 billion.

Key Background:

Tether, the company behind the world’s largest stablecoin, has confirmed it is exploring a significant fundraising round that could value the firm at around $500 billion. The confirmation came from CEO Paolo Ardoino after reports emerged of the potential deal.

According to Bloomberg, Tether is considering raising between $15 billion and $20 billion in exchange for roughly a 3% stake through a private placement. If successful, the transaction would place Tether’s valuation in the same league as some of the world’s most valuable private companies, including SpaceX and OpenAI. Earlier this year, OpenAI was valued at $300 billion.

Shortly after reports surfaced, Ardoino acknowledged the fundraising talks on his official X account. He noted that Tether is evaluating a raise from a “selected group of high-profile key investors.” He added that the funds would help “maximize the scale” of Tether’s strategy across both existing and new business ventures. These ventures include stablecoins, artificial intelligence, commodity trading, energy, communications, and media.

The deal would likely involve issuing new shares instead of current investors selling theirs. Sources indicated that the negotiations are still in their infancy, and the final approach, which involves the extent to which it will increase, may evolve.

Tether is a large firm in the market of stablecoins with its headquarters in El Salvador. Its primary token, USDT, is pegged to the U.S. dollar, and it has recently been valued at 172 billion on the market. Its closest competitor, Circle’s USDC, currently has a market cap of about $74 billion.

Tether has also been taking steps to strengthen its presence in the U.S., encouraged by President Donald Trump’s supportive stance toward cryptocurrency. Earlier this month, the company appointed a CEO for its U.S. branch and set up a new unit called USAT, which will follow U.S. rules under the GENIUS Act.