Major gold holder launches self-custody wallet
Tether, the prominent crypto company widely recognized for its fiat- and gold-pegged stablecoins, recently made headlines with the launch of a self-custodial digital wallet on April 14th.
Stablecoins are a category of cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a stable value by being pegged to assets like fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar or commodities like gold. Tether offers a range of stablecoins, including USDT (dollar-pegged), USAT (federally regulated, dollar-pegged), EURT (Euro-pegged), and XAUT (gold-pegged).
USDT stands out as the largest stablecoin globally, boasting a market capitalization of $184.7 million. Tether, as a result, has accumulated a substantial amount of U.S. debt, including short-term U.S. Treasuries, to back the stablecoin. Similarly, XAUT, pegged to one troy ounce of gold, requires backing by gold reserves, making Tether one of the largest non-sovereign gold holders globally with a market cap of $2.6 billion.
As of December 31, 2025, Tether reported that the XAUT custodian held a total of 520,089.350 fine troy ounces of gold. The company’s technology is utilized by over 570 million individuals across 160 countries, with millions of new wallets being added each quarter.
Recognizing the growing demand for enhanced security in holding digital assets, Tether introduced a digital wallet to address these concerns. The self-custodial digital wallet, tether.wallet, extends Tether’s global financial infrastructure directly to users, providing support for various digital assets such as USDT, USAT, XAUT, and Bitcoin (BTC).
Users can send funds using simple identifiers like name@tether.me, eliminating the need for lengthy wallet addresses and allowing for seamless transactions without requiring separate network or gas tokens. Fees are paid directly in the asset being transferred, streamlining the process and reducing common friction points.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino emphasized the importance of empowering users to send value effortlessly while maintaining control over their assets. The tether.wallet is built on Tether’s open-source Wallet Development Kit (WDK), enabling anyone to create, use, and manage self-custodial digital asset wallets.
In conclusion, Tether’s launch of the self-custodial digital wallet marks a significant step towards providing users with a secure and user-friendly platform to manage their digital assets. The integration of various stablecoins and cryptocurrencies into the wallet ensures a diverse range of options for users, further solidifying Tether’s position as a leading player in the crypto industry.
