Key Takeaways:
- Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino denied Bitcoin sell-off rumors, confirming continued investments in Bitcoin, gold, and land.
- Bitcoin holdings declined due to a transfer of 19,800 BTC to Twenty One Capital, not a liquidation.
- Tether’s current Bitcoin holdings exceed 100,000 BTC, now valued at over $11 billion.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has dismissed claims that the company sold part of its Bitcoin holdings, insisting the stablecoin issuer continues to reinvest profits into Bitcoin, gold, and land.
The rumors arose after YouTuber Clive Thompson highlighted Tether’s Q1 and Q2 2025 attestations from BDO, which showed a decline from 92,650 BTC to 83,274 BTC.
Correct.
— Paolo Ardoino 🤖 (@paoloardoino) September 7, 2025
Tether didn't sell any Bitcoin. As Samson says below, it contributed part of its stash into XXI.
While the world continues to get darker, Tether will continue to invest part of its profits into safe assets like Bitcoin, Gold and Land.
Tether is the Stable Company. https://t.co/4KxdeNEsOE
Thompson suggested the reduction signaled a sell-off to fund gold purchases.
However, Jan3 CEO Samson Mow countered that the decrease reflected transfers, not sales.
He explained that Tether moved 19,800 BTC to Twenty One Capital (XXI), a Bitcoin-focused financial platform led by Strike CEO Jack Mallers.
The transfer included 14,000 BTC in June and 5,800 BTC in July.
Ardoino confirmed the assets were shifted, not liquidated, reaffirming Tether’s strategy of allocating profits into “safe assets.”
In June alone, Tether transferred over 37,000 BTC -then worth about $3.9 billion -to support XXI.
According to Mow, if transfers are accounted for, Tether’s net Bitcoin holdings actually increased.
Data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET shows Tether now holds 100,521 BTC valued at roughly $11.17 billion.
The debate coincided with El Salvador announcing a $50 million gold purchase as part of its diversification strategy.
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