Tether holds 150,000 Bitcoin worth over $11.5bn, CEO Paolo Ardoino says
Stablecoin issuer Tether now holds roughly 150,000 Bitcoin worth more than $11.5 billion, chief executive Paolo Ardoino announced at the Plan ₿ Forum in Lugano.
Key takeaways
- 1Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino announced the firm holds 150,000 Bitcoin worth over $11.5 billion.
- 2Tether held $122.8 billion directly in US T-bills and $7.95 billion in excess reserves in Q3 2026.
- 3The firm claims over 730 million users globally, adding roughly 30 million wallets per quarter.
Tether chief executive Paolo Ardoino said on 3 November 2026 that the company owns approximately 150,000 Bitcoin worth more than $11.5 billion. Speaking at the Plan ₿ Forum in Lugano, Switzerland, Ardoino outlined the reserve holdings of the world's largest stablecoin issuer, according to reports by Wu Blockchain and Watcher Guru.
Ardoino said Tether serves more than 730 million users globally and adds about 30 million new wallets every quarter, Wu Blockchain reported. Tether's third-quarter attestation for 2026 showed direct holdings of $122.8 billion in US Treasury bills, rising to $132.4 billion when including repurchase agreements, with excess reserves standing at $7.95 billion. Ardoino also detailed Tether's broader initiative, covering energy projects, Bitcoin mining, peer-to-peer communications, self-custody wallets and on-device artificial intelligence.
Tether issues USDT, the largest stablecoin in crypto with a market capitalisation of $179.9 billion, while Bitcoin trades near $76,718, according to YourKhabri data. The reserve update places Tether among the largest institutional holders of Bitcoin worldwide. On 2 November, YourKhabri reported that exchange operator Coinbase holds 18,000 BTC in its corporate treasury, valued at over $1.4 billion.
The Bitcoin inventory and excess reserves point to stablecoin issuers taking a central role as corporate Bitcoin accumulators. Investors will monitor upcoming quarterly attestations and Tether's expansion into energy and mining infrastructure to see how its non-stablecoin business lines perform.
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Reported and edited by the YourKhabri desk under our editorial policy. Nothing here is investment advice.