Tether confirms gold reserves and announces AI service rollout

Tether engaged the accounting firm KPMG to conduct a comprehensive audit of its reserve assets, confirming the presence of approximately 150 tons of gold that underwrite its gold-linked token and revealing that the firm’s overall reserves surpass its liabilities by $6.8 billion. This audit addresses longstanding skepticism about whether the $183 billion supply of USDT stablecoins is fully collateralized. CEO Paolo Ardoino emphasized that Tether now views itself as both a digital dollar and digital gold provider, with a user base exceeding 650 million, especially in Africa and South America where local currencies have been repeatedly devalued.

Beyond financial services, Tether has been expanding into decentralized communications, agricultural tech, and solar-powered kiosks, and is now moving toward offering basic artificial-intelligence utilities. Ardoino noted that even in low-income regions, most people own a mobile phone capable of running simple AI models, allowing Tether to deliver affordable AI tools for sectors like health, finance, and sports. While the company did not detail the revenue model, it is expected that users will pay a small monthly fee in stablecoins to access these services. Ardoino warned that widening gaps in income and intelligence could destabilize societies, underscoring the broader social relevance of the initiative.