Tether Snaps Up 70% of Agribusiness Giant—Is Crypto Going Rural?

Last Updated on May 1, 2025

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Person holding cellphone with logo of crypto company Tether. Source: Timon - stock.adobe.com

Key Takeaways:

  • Tether has acquired a 70% majority stake in Adecoagro, a $1B Latin American agro-bioenergy firm, to expand its real-world asset tokenization strategy.
  • The move supports Tether’s vision of economic empowerment via DeFi and marks a major step for its asset tokenization platform, Hadron.
  • Adecoagro’s board was restructured under Tether’s influence, with a new chairman, Juan Sartori, aligning the firm with Tether’s strategic goals.

Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, has acquired a 70% controlling stake in Adecoagro, a major Latin American agricultural and bioenergy company, as part of its push into real-world asset tokenization.

Starting with a 9.8% purchase in September 2024 for $100 million, Tether increased its stake to 51% by February 2025 and reached 70% in March.

Adecoagro, valued at nearly $1 billion, operates sugar mills, rice farms, dairy facilities, and renewable energy projects across Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.

Tether aims to scale Adecoagro’s operations while promoting decentralized finance and economic empowerment, especially in underserved regions.

This move supports the growth of Hadron, Tether’s asset tokenization platform, which enables the blockchain-based representation of assets such as commodities, bonds, and equities.

CEO Paolo Ardoino emphasized the strategic alignment with Adecoagro’s traditional industry expertise.

As part of the deal, five board members were replaced, and Uruguayan entrepreneur Juan Sartori was appointed chairman.

The acquisition complements Tether’s broader initiatives in bitcoin mining, AI, and secure communications.

Following the news, Adecoagro’s stock rose 2.6%, signaling investor optimism.

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