Tether buys 27 tons of gold, but its tokenized market share slips – Why?

ambcryptoPublicado em 2026-01-27Última atualização em 2026-01-27

Resumo

Tether purchased 27 metric tons of gold in Q4 2025, continuing its aggressive accumulation strategy amid macroeconomic uncertainty and strong safe-haven demand. Gold surged 64% in 2025 and broke the $5,000 mark in 2026, driving retail interest in tokenized gold. Tether Gold (XAUT), backed 1:1 by physical gold, saw its market cap grow to $2.24 billion in early 2026. However, despite this growth, Tether's dominance in the tokenized gold market dropped from 60% to 50%, as competitors like Pax Gold and Kinesis Gold gained traction. The overall tokenized gold market exceeded $5.2 billion, with further growth expected due to ongoing geopolitical and economic risks.

Tether continued its gold buying spree in late 2025, driven by macro uncertainty and growing demand for safe‐haven assets. According to its latest transparency report, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer purchased 27 metric tons of gold in Q4 2025.

This was nearly the same amount of gold as it acquired in Q3, 2025. In fact, its 2025 buying spree rivaled demand from central banks, as the metal crossed new highs and broke key psychological levels.

In 2025, gold posted a 64% gain and is up another 17% so far in 2026, crossing the $5000 mark for the first time.

This explosive run has also driven retail demand for tokenized gold, with the Tether gold [XAUT] market supply growing over 3x from $600 million to $ 1.8 billion by the end of 2025.

In early 2026, Tether Gold’s market cap rose to $2.24 billion, up 26% in January alone, further underscoring investors’ interest in the tokenized gold. The firm’s aggressive demand for gold is used to back issued XAUT tokens on a 1:1 basis, the report noted.

Commenting on the report, Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino said,

“Through Tether Gold, we are operating at a scale that now places the Tether Gold Investment Fund alongside sovereign gold holders, and that carries real responsibility.”

Ardoino added that XAUT exists to ‘remove ambiguity’ as confidence in monetary systems weakens and is put to a stress test by institutions and people.

Tether’s share in tokenized gold market drops

That said, the tokenized gold boom has also seen Tether’s market share trimmed by nearly 10%. According to CoinGecko data, Tether gold held nearly 60% market dominance as of November 2026.

However, in early 2026, Tether Gold’s market share had dropped to 50% ($2.6 billion), while Pax Gold, the second-largest tokenized gold, had a 40% market share.

Kinesis Gold appeared to be the rising star that has eaten into most of the market share. Its dominance rose from zero in November to nearly 8% as of early 2026.

Meanwhile, the tokenized gold market has surpassed $5.2 billion and could grow further if geopolitical tensions and macro uncertainty drive physical gold prices higher.

Final Thoughts

  • Tether added 27 tons of gold in Q4 2025, nearly the same amount bought in Q3, as the commodity extends its bull run into 2026.
  • However, Tether Gold has lost 10% of its market share amid the tokenized gold boom

Perguntas relacionadas

QHow much gold did Tether purchase in Q4 2025 and what was the reason behind this purchase?

ATether purchased 27 metric tons of gold in Q4 2025. This buying spree was driven by macro uncertainty and growing demand for safe-haven assets.

QWhat was the performance of gold in 2025 and early 2026, and what key price level did it cross?

AIn 2025, gold posted a 64% gain. It is up another 17% so far in 2026, crossing the $5000 mark for the first time.

QDespite the growth of its XAUT token, why did Tether's market share in the tokenized gold market drop?

ATether's market share dropped by nearly 10% because new competitors, particularly Kinesis Gold, entered the market and captured a significant portion of the growing tokenized gold sector.

QWhat is the current size of the total tokenized gold market and what factors could drive its further growth?

AThe tokenized gold market has surpassed $5.2 billion. It could grow further if geopolitical tensions and macro uncertainty continue to drive physical gold prices higher.

QAccording to Tether's CEO, what is the primary purpose of the XAUT token?

AAccording to CEO Paolo Ardoino, XAUT exists to 'remove ambiguity' as confidence in monetary systems weakens and is put to a stress test by institutions and people.

Leituras Relacionadas

TON/GRAM price prediction – Telegram’s Gram wallet rollout lifts token: Can the rally continue?

Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced the rollout of a native, non-custodial Gram wallet across the messaging app, describing it as potentially the largest deployment of a non-custodial wallet in history. The move aims to bring instant, zero-fee crypto transactions to Telegram's over one billion users, integrating digital assets directly into the platform. The news triggered a more than 7% price increase for TON/GRAM, pushing the token to around $1.53. However, it remains below its May peak near $2.80, facing immediate resistance around $1.60. Analysts suggest a break above this level could improve sentiment toward $1.80, while a failure to hold gains might see a retest of support near $1.40.

ambcryptoHá 25m

TON/GRAM price prediction – Telegram’s Gram wallet rollout lifts token: Can the rally continue?

ambcryptoHá 25m

How 40.8M staked ETH could strengthen Ethereum’s edge over Bitcoin

Ethereum is showing signs of strengthening against Bitcoin, driven by two key trends. First, significant whale accumulation is occurring, with large holders not just buying ETH but immediately staking 100% of it. This locks away supply, signaling long-term conviction. Ethereum's total staked ETH has reached a record 40.8 million, with a growing entry queue and 33.5% of supply now staked, further tightening liquid availability. Second, Ethereum's DeFi ecosystem is experiencing robust activity, with WETH whale transactions at a multi-year high and Total Value Locked (TVL) rising sharply. These converging factors—reduced supply from staking and increased on-chain demand—are translating into technical strength. The ETH/BTC ratio has broken above resistance and is approaching the 0.03 level, setting the stage for potential continued outperformance against Bitcoin.

ambcryptoHá 58m

How 40.8M staked ETH could strengthen Ethereum’s edge over Bitcoin

ambcryptoHá 58m

Global Stock Market's Storm Center: South Korea's Stock Market De-leveraging Is Largely Complete

Storm's Eye: South Korean Market De-leveraging Nears Completion The recent sharp correction in South Korean equities, with the KOSPI index dropping 32% from its June high, has been a key trigger for global tech stock volatility. The core driver was not a fundamental shift but a forced de-leveraging process within the market's unique structure, which is now largely complete. Two main leverage channels amplified the sell-off: 1. **Leveraged ETFs:** Their size, proportionally four times larger than in the U.S., peaked near $50 billion. Their mandatory daily rebalancing mechanism created a vicious cycle of "price drop → forced selling → further drop." Approximately 75% of this excess has been unwound, shrinking to $26 billion, with regulatory curbs now blocking new inflows. 2. **Hedge Fund Leverage:** Using swaps to magnify exposure, hedge funds saw their net long positioning fall by over 50% from peak levels. The most intense phase of this institutional de-leveraging is over. In contrast, **retail margin debt** poses minimal systemic risk. At 0.5% of market cap, it is far lower than in the U.S. or China, lacks automatic triggers, and is concentrated in smaller stocks. The conclusion: the high-leverage structures most prone to "chain-reaction selling" have been substantially cleared. The market is transitioning from a liquidity-driven crash to one priced more on fundamentals. The article argues that the AI trend—centered on Korean memory chips—remains intact. This episode represents a painful but necessary clearing of crowded trades, not the end of the AI revolution. For investors, the key question is conviction in the long-term AI direction; if the trend is real, current volatility is a cost of entry, not a terminal risk.

链捕手Há 1h

Global Stock Market's Storm Center: South Korea's Stock Market De-leveraging Is Largely Complete

链捕手Há 1h

92.9% of crypto tokens launched since 2024 trade below TGE price: CryptoRank

A recent analysis by CryptoRank reveals that 92.9% of cryptocurrency tokens launched since 2024 and with a market capitalization exceeding $100 million are now trading below their initial Token Generation Event (TGE) price. The study, examining 113 projects, found only eight—or 7.1%—remain profitable, with the median return across the dataset being a stark -95.7%. Top performers include Hyperliquid (HYPE), which gained 1,519%, followed by Ondo Finance (ONDO), EverValue Coin (EVA), and Midnight Network (NIGHT). The findings indicate a market that has become highly selective, with capital concentrating on a small number of projects demonstrating real utility, adoption, or ecosystem growth. This contrasts with previous cycles where new tokens often saw sustained rallies. Investors are now scrutinizing factors like tokenomics, circulating supply, and unlock schedules more closely. This trend may influence future token launches, prompting projects to prioritize sustainable distribution models and long-term growth over aggressive initial valuations, as high fully diluted valuations (FDVs) and large future token unlocks often lead to significant price pressure.

ambcryptoHá 1h

92.9% of crypto tokens launched since 2024 trade below TGE price: CryptoRank

ambcryptoHá 1h

The Eternal Fragments of Money: Third-Party Payment Has No First Principle

"The Enduring Fragments of Money: Third-Party Payments Lack a First Principle" Stripe is reportedly attempting to acquire PayPal, marking a significant shift reminiscent of PayPal's merger with the original X.com 30 years ago. The article analyzes Stripe's strategic challenges and the broader payments industry landscape. Despite its initial success with a developer-friendly API model, Stripe missed its optimal IPO window during the pandemic and has since seen its valuation decline. Its attempts to expand through acquisitions and new ventures, particularly in stablecoins (like its OUSD project) and Agent-focused payments (ACP/MPP protocols), have faced headwinds. The author argues that the payment industry remains highly fragmented and is ultimately an adjunct to the traditional banking system. This structure limits the potential for any single player, including Stripe, to achieve complete dominance. While stablecoins and the future rise of autonomous Agent economies present potential growth avenues, they are not yet mainstream and still require integration with the existing financial system. For now, Agent-based transactions are largely used for speculative "volume boosting" rather than substantive business applications. Stripe's current move to acquire PayPal is seen as an attempt to bolster its weak consumer-facing (C-side) business after its stablecoin-focused strategies faltered. Meanwhile, PayPal is described as structurally outdated, unable to revive itself through new products like Venmo or PYUSD. The future of payments may lie not in payments themselves but in value-added services like more efficient settlement networks. The author suggests that companies like Stripe and Circle, which are building their own blockchains (Tempo, Arc) and stablecoins, are positioning themselves to eventually profit from high-efficiency settlement systems. These new networks could potentially bypass some traditional banking layers. In conclusion, the article posits that third-party payment is a perpetually fragmented battlefield where scale alone cannot ensure victory. Players must find new models, focusing on efficiency to compete with the entrenched banking system. Stripe's acquisition of PayPal represents a bet on this uncertain future.

链捕手Há 1h

The Eternal Fragments of Money: Third-Party Payment Has No First Principle

链捕手Há 1h

Trading

Spot
活动图片

Categorias popularesright-arrow

Etiquetas Popularesright-arrow