**[Tether Withdraws $20 Billion Financing Plan Amid Investor Opposition]** According to Foresight News, citing a report from the Financial Times, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has downplayed the scale of its new round of fundraising after facing opposition from investors regarding its $500 billion valuation target. The company had previously planned to raise $15 billion to $20 billion last year to become one of the most valuable private companies, but it is now considering raising a minimum of $500 million. Ardoino stated that the initial $15 billion to $20 billion target was a "misunderstanding" and remarked, "We would be very happy even if we don’t sell at all." He also mentioned that despite the significant attention Tether has received, insiders are reluctant to sell shares. Ardoino compared Tether's profitability to that of AI companies, which primarily operate at a loss, and argued that its valuation should be fairly compared to such projects. Currently, fundraising negotiations are still ongoing, and specific terms may still change.