One of the most powerful players in the cryptocurrency market, Tether, has begun negotiations to raise between $15 and $20 billion in investments through a private placement. If the operation is realized at the stated volumes, Tether’s market valuation could reach $500 billion, placing it alongside technology giants like OpenAI and SpaceX.
This is reported by Finway
Scaling the Business into New Areas
According to informed sources, the company is prepared to offer investors about 3% of its shares. The management of Tether envisions that the funds raised will help implement a large-scale expansion strategy: in addition to developing stablecoins, the plan includes entering the markets of artificial intelligence (AI), energy, communications, commodities trading, and media.
Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino stated: “The company is exploring the possibility of raising funds from a group of high-profile investors to maximize the scale of the company’s strategy across all existing and new business directions.”
The deal involves the issuance of new capital rather than the sale of shares by existing owners. The consulting firm Cantor Fitzgerald has been chosen for the process, but no comments on the details of the deal have been provided. Despite the early stage of negotiations and the potential for changes in the amount of funds raised, the market is actively discussing the potential impact of this event. One participant in the process emphasized that the mentioned amount is the “upper limit of expectations,” so the actual figures may be lower.
Leadership in the Stablecoin Market and Future Plans
As of September 2025, the market capitalization of the USDT stablecoin issued by Tether exceeds $172 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. The main competitor, Circle with its USDC token, has a market capitalization of about $74 billion. Tether maintains its leadership in the market due to significant profits from placing reserves in U.S. government bonds and other liquid assets: in the second quarter of 2025 alone, the company recorded $4.9 billion in profit with a 99% profitability rate.
Tether is also actively preparing to return to the U.S. market. After paying a $41 million fine in 2021 for allegations of misleading statements regarding reserves, the company is focusing on the favorable policies of President Donald Trump’s administration. Tether has already announced the launch of a new dollar stablecoin that will be subject to U.S. regulation.
According to sources, potential investors have already gained access to the company’s internal information, and the completion of the deal is planned for the end of the year. Additionally, Tether is among the largest corporate holders of Bitcoin — the company holds over 100,521 BTC on its balance sheet.