Tether Confirms $779M Bitcoin Purchase Despite Weak Market Momentum

CEO Paolo Ardoino confirmed the $779 million purchase by Tether.

Stablecoin issuer Tether added 8,888.8888888 BTC to its reserves in Q4 2025. The latest stash brings its total holdings to over 96,000 coins, which is worth roughly $8.46 billion.

The purchase of around $779 million was confirmed by CEO Paolo Ardoino on X and continues the company’s ongoing “8888” accumulation pattern.

Bitcoins Tether’s Diversification Strategy

Tether started buying Bitcoin back in September 2022. In May 2023, the company made its plan official, announcing that it would dedicate 15% of its quarterly net profits to purchasing Bitcoin. Since that announcement, the company behind the USDT stablecoin has steadily added to its holdings every quarter. It has followed a long-term strategy focused on diversifying its reserves and strengthening its financial position.

In addition to Bitcoin, Tether has been steadily building a significant gold reserve. By Q3 2025, the company held around 116 metric tons of physical gold. In September, Ardoino addressed rumors that alleged that the firm had sold Bitcoin to buy gold. The speculation began after YouTuber Clive Thompson claimed the firm quietly changed its investment approach, allegedly selling over $1 billion in BTC while acquiring $1.6 billion in gold during Q2 2025.

The BTC acquisition, however, came as the crypto asset ended the year on a weak note. Prices fell to $88,000 in late 2025, which contributed to a 23.07% negative return for the quarter, according to Coinglass. This makes the second-worst Q4 performance on record behind Q4 2018. Despite the downturn, Tether seized the opportunity to steadily increase its exposure, even as other institutional buyers pulled back.

Bitcoins Corporate Treasuries Struggle

Bitcoin adoption by corporations started strong in early 2025, and many companies added crypto to their balance sheets, thanks to the model popularized by Michael Saylor’s Strategy. Early price gains made the model appealing, but the October downturn eroded confidence. As a result, shares in some of the largest players are sharply down.

Companies that had been aggressive buyers now face pressure to stabilize their finances in 2026. Prenetics, which raised $48 million partly to build a Bitcoin treasury, announced it would halt additional purchases.

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