Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino revealed that 94 tonnes of Tether Gold (XAUT) were transferred on-chain over the past six months, with total fees amounting to just 0.0016% of the value moved.
The data highlights a significant increase in activity involving tokenized gold, particularly toward the end of 2025 and the start of 2026. Weekly on-chain gold transfers varied throughout the period, with several noticeable spikes.
One of the largest weekly movements exceeded 21 tonnes, marking the highest level shown in the six-month window. Earlier in the period, another strong spike saw nearly 15 tonnes moved in a single week.
The steady rise in transaction volume suggests expanding usage of XAUT for settlement and transfers. While activity remained moderate through late summer, volumes began increasing in the autumn months and accelerated further into the new year.
This trend may reflect rising interest in gold exposure during periods of broader market volatility. As traditional markets fluctuate, tokenized gold can serve as a bridge between digital asset infrastructure and a long-standing store of value.
One of the most notable aspects of the data is the extremely low fee level. According to Ardoino, the total cost to move 94 tonnes of tokenized gold over six months amounted to only 0.0016% in fees.
In traditional markets, transferring physical gold involves logistics, insurance, custody coordination, and significant settlement costs. By contrast, tokenized gold transactions occur on blockchain infrastructure, enabling near-instant settlement with transparent on-chain verification.
Tether Gold (XAUT) is backed by physical gold reserves, with each token representing ownership of a specific amount of gold. The token allows holders to gain gold exposure while benefiting from blockchain-based transferability and divisibility.
The reported figures were based on Tether’s internal analysis using Chainalysis data, illustrating how tokenized commodities are increasingly being used for large-scale value transfers.
As tokenization continues to expand beyond cryptocurrencies into real-world assets, the movement of nearly 100 tonnes of gold on-chain over six months signals growing integration between traditional assets and blockchain infrastructure.
