[Tether Holds Approximately 140 Tons of Gold, Valued at Around $23 Billion] According to Bloomberg, stablecoin issuer Tether Holdings SA has become one of the largest participants in the global gold market, holding approximately 140 tons of gold valued at around $23 billion. It is believed to be the largest known holder of physical gold outside of banks and nations. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino revealed that the company is continuously purchasing gold at a rate of 1 to 2 tons per week, aiming to establish a long-term, stable reserve of physical gold in a former Swiss nuclear bunker. He emphasized that this move is akin to playing the role of "one of the world's largest central banks for gold" and predicted that geopolitical rivals would launch a gold-backed alternative to the U.S. dollar, for which Tether has already prepared its gold token XAUT. In 2025, Tether purchased over 70 tons of gold, surpassing almost all individual central banks except Poland's central bank and exceeding the scale of many large gold ETFs. In addition to direct holdings, Tether has hired a former senior gold trader from HSBC and plans to establish a gold trading platform to compete with banks like JPMorgan Chase. The company is also acquiring shares in several mid-sized Canadian gold mining franchise companies. Earlier reports indicated that Tether increased its gold reserves by approximately 27 tons in the fourth quarter of 2025.