The move comes as USDT issuance and payment use continue to grow.
Tether accumulated 8,888.8888888 Bitcoin in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to CEO Paolo Ardoino.
On-chain data suggests the stablecoin issuer purchased about 9,850 BTC in total during the quarter, worth roughly $876 million at prevailing prices.
The buying included a withdrawal of 961 BTC — around $97.18 million — from Bitfinex on November 7, 2025. It also included a transfer of 8,888.8 BTC, valued near $778 million, to Tether’s Bitcoin reserve address on the first day of 2026.
As a result, Tether’s reserve address now holds 96,185 BTC, worth about $8.42 billion. That balance ranks as the fifth-largest known Bitcoin wallet globally. This shows that the company’s treasury scale has significantly increased around Bitcoin.
The company has increasingly framed Bitcoin as a long-term reserve asset rather than a short-term trade, using excess profits to build exposure.
Meanwhile, the purchases come amid heightened activity around USDT over the past month.
Tether minted large new tranches of USDT, including a $1 billion issuance on the TRON network, signaling expectations of continued liquidity demand across exchanges and payment corridors.
At the same time, data has shown USDT’s growing role outside trading. Analysts point to rising usage in remittances and small-value transfers, reinforcing its position as a digital dollar rail rather than just a market-making tool.
In parallel, Tether has expanded beyond core issuance.
Recent investments in payment infrastructure, including firms working with the Bitcoin Lightning Network, suggest a push to integrate USDT and Bitcoin more deeply into real-world settlement systems.
Taken together, the Q4 Bitcoin accumulation and recent USDT developments point to a company leaning into scale.
Tether is strengthening its balance sheet with Bitcoin while extending the utility and reach of its stablecoin in global crypto markets.
