Tether's CEO quickly denies rumors of Bitcoin hoarding with SoftBank?

Recently, the cryptocurrency market has once again focused on the stablecoin giant Tether and its core reserve assets.

Rumors surrounding whether Tether is selling Bitcoin to adjust its reserve strategy have been rampant on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), attracting widespread attention from the community and concerns from some investors. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino quickly announced the company's main Bitcoin holdings on the X platform and posted: "We hold the vast majority of our Bitcoin directly: bc1qjasf9z3h7w3jspkhtgatgpyvvzgpa2wwd2lr0eh5tx44reyn2k7sfc27a4." The implication is, "We have Bitcoin in our account, don't be afraid." He also stated that Tether did not sell any Bitcoin, but instead invested part of its Bitcoin reserves into XXI. So, what is the actual situation of Tether's Bitcoin reserves? AI Coin News will delve into the context of this controversy and reveal the true state of Tether's reserve assets. Questions Regarding Bitcoin Holdings Changes: A search by AI Coin News revealed that the controversy stemmed from some cryptocurrency analysts' interpretation of Tether's Bitcoin holdings data. Independent analyst Clive Thompson claimed that Tether's audit reports for the first and second quarters of 2025 showed a significant decline in its Bitcoin holdings. He noted that Tether's Bitcoin holdings fell from 92,650 Bitcoin at the end of the first quarter to 83,274 Bitcoin at the end of the second quarter, and speculated that Tether may be selling Bitcoin to increase its gold reserves. This claim quickly spread across social media, sparking market concerns about the transparency and stability of Tether's reserve assets. Some even interpreted it as Tether "dumping" Bitcoin, negatively impacting the market. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino quickly spoke out via the X platform, providing a detailed clarification of the company's Bitcoin reserve strategy. He clarified that Tether had not sold any Bitcoin, but rather invested a portion of its Bitcoin reserves in the "xxi" plan to support its Bitcoin holding strategy and future IPO plans. AI Coin News analyzed that Tether's stablecoin business is subject to strict regulatory scrutiny, and holding large amounts of volatile assets such as Bitcoin directly on its balance sheet could increase audit and compliance pressures. Ardoino emphasized that Tether is committed to investing its profits in safe assets such as Bitcoin, gold, and land to maintain the company's financial stability during a global economic downturn. "These Bitcoin transfers are not sales, but rather investments injected into XXI to support its operations as an independent entity, while Tether still benefits indirectly through its controlling stake in XXI. This structure helps diversify risk and avoid direct exposure to the impact of Bitcoin price fluctuations on the stablecoin reserves," Ardoino said. A Strategy of Controlling Coins Through Equity So, what is XXI? A search on AI Coin News revealed that XXI is the abbreviation (or stock symbol) for Twenty One, a publicly traded company primarily focused on acquiring Bitcoin and providing investors with alternative exposure to Bitcoin assets. It is majority-owned by Tether and its sister company Bitfinex, with SoftBank participating as the second-largest shareholder. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino recently stated that Tether did not sell any Bitcoin but instead invested part of its Bitcoin reserves into Twenty One to support its Bitcoin holding strategy and future listing plans. Twenty One plans to increase its holdings by approximately 5,800 bitcoins before its IPO, bringing its total holdings to at least 43,500 BTC, including contributions from Tether. This allows traditional investors to indirectly own Bitcoin through shares without having to directly purchase the crypto asset, thereby expanding Bitcoin's institutional adoption and liquidity. Ardoino stated that this aligns with Tether's vision of supporting Bitcoin's dominance and utility, prioritizing "accumulation over speculation." XXI not only holds Bitcoin but also plans to engage in activities such as mining to "harness the power of Bitcoin" and build long-term value. This is more scalable than Tether simply holding its own Bitcoin, helping Tether enter the public market and Bitcoin mining, rather than being limited to stablecoin issuance.

In short, this investment model allows Tether to retain control of Bitcoin (through equity) while avoiding the potential regulatory obstacles of direct holding, while also promoting global Bitcoin adoption.

In addition, Tether is in contact with the "Big Four" accounting firms to obtain a full audit of its reserves. Although this process faces challenges, Tether has stated that this is its top priority. These measures demonstrate that Tether is working to strengthen market confidence in its reserve assets through stricter reporting standards and more transparent operations.

How many coins are on the account?

AI Coin News search, according to the latest data from the blockchain browser Blockchair.com (as of September 8, 2025), the current balance of the Bitcoin address: bc1qjasf9z3h7w3jspkhtgatgpyvvzgpa2wwd2lr0eh5tx44reyn2k7sfc27a4 is 77,446.57900078 BTC, equivalent to approximately US$8.585 billion (based on the real-time exchange rate, the Bitcoin price is approximately US$110,900 per coin). The total transaction history of this address shows that the main holdings originated from a large receiving transaction (approximately 77,446.5789 BTC), followed by a small amount of small activities, including recent dust transactions (such as receiving 0.00000541 BTC), with no significant outflow record. This is consistent with Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino's statement on the X platform that "the vast majority of Bitcoin is directly held." The address is widely recognized as one of Tether's main cold storage addresses, although the browser does not explicitly mark it as such. AI Coin Report's detailed verification: Balance and Value: The current balance is stable at approximately 77,446.579 BTC, with no recent significant fluctuations. The total amount received by this address is significantly higher than the amount sent, indicating that it is designed for long-term holding rather than frequent trading. The USD value fluctuates based on the current market price. If the Bitcoin price is $110,000 per coin, the total value is approximately $8.52 billion. Using a conservative estimate of $60,000 per coin, the total value is approximately $4.65 billion (although actual data uses the real-time price). Transaction History Overview: The address's first activity dates back to around 2022 (based on historical charts), with over 150 transactions, primarily large inflows (from exchanges or mining pools). The last active transaction occurred in early September 2025. There is no evidence of large-scale sales or transfers, supporting Ardoino's clarification (not sales, but direct holdings). Recent Transactions (Top 5 Examples): These are all small-amount tests or dusting attacks related and have no impact on the main balance: +0.00000541 BTC (approximately $0.59).

+0.000006 BTC (about $0.70).

+0.00000613 BTC (about $0.74).

+0.00005286 BTC (about $6.02).

+0.00000546 BTC (about $0.64). Link Confirmation: Although Blockchair does not directly label it "Tether," based on Ardoino's X post and industry reports (such as the BitInfoCharts and 99Bitcoins rich lists), this address ranks among the top 100 Bitcoin holders globally (ranking approximately 23rd), confirming it as a direct Tether reserve. This address shows no signs of custody, consistent with its "self-custody" claim. Conclusion: Continue to Monitor On-Chain Activity Overall, verification confirms that this address holds significant and stable amounts, reinforcing Tether's reserve transparency. However, continued monitoring of on-chain activity is recommended to prevent potential risks. From an industry perspective, the Tether incident also highlights the critical role of stablecoins in the crypto ecosystem. As a crucial bridge between crypto assets and fiat currencies, the stability and transparency of stablecoins directly impact the liquidity and trust of the entire market. The resolution of this incident will help boost market confidence in stablecoins overall and prompt other stablecoin issuers to place greater emphasis on the transparency and compliance of their reserve assets. With the increasing maturity of global cryptocurrency regulation, the stablecoin industry is moving towards greater standardization and transparency. In the future, we may see more stablecoin issuers proactively seeking third-party audits and disclosing more detailed reserve asset information to meet regulatory requirements and market expectations.