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Tether boosts Bitcoin holdings with 8,888 BTC year-end buy

Written by Brie CarterPublished jan. 1 2026Last Updated jan. 1 2026

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Tether confirmed it acquired 8,888 Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) on New Year’s Eve, lifting its disclosed holdings to more than 96,000 BTC to close out 2025.

The purchase was revealed by chief executive Paolo Ardoino as part of the company’s regular disclosure on reserve allocation.

The transaction made the firm one of the largest active holders of Bitcoin in the market.

Blockchain data places Tether’s main Bitcoin address as the fifth-largest known wallet globally.

The address now trails major exchange and brokerage wallets, including Binance, Robinhood, and Bitfinex.

Among privately held corporate treasuries, Tether ranks second by disclosed Bitcoin holdings.

The year-end purchase followed a consistent pattern of quarterly Bitcoin accumulation by the company.

Tether has committed to allocating up to 15% of its net earnings into Bitcoin every three months.

The latest batch of 8,888 BTC was valued at roughly $780 million at the time of acquisition, based on prevailing market prices.

Bitcoin is only one part of the company’s broader hard-asset strategy.

During the third quarter of 2025, Tether purchased 26 tonnes of gold in a single quarter.

That acquisition exceeded the quarterly gold purchases of any reporting central bank over the same period.

The move lifted Tether’s total gold holdings to around 116 tonnes, placing it among the world’s top 30 gold holders.

The company’s reserve mix, which includes US Treasurys, Bitcoin, and gold, has attracted increased scrutiny.

Ratings agency S&P recently downgraded USDT’s score from “constrained” to “weak” citing transparency and concentration concerns.

Former BitMEX chief executive Arthur Hayes publicly questioned the growing share of Bitcoin and gold in the reserve portfolio.

Tether’s Bitcoin balance has fluctuated at points during 2025, briefly exceeding 100,000 BTC earlier in the year.

Those changes prompted market speculation that the company was quietly selling Bitcoin.

Ardoino rejected those claims and said the movements were linked to capital contributions rather than disposals.

He said the firm had allocated Bitcoin to “XXI,” referring to Twenty One Capital, a company backed by Tether.

Twenty One Capital held 43,514 BTC as of New Year’s Day, according to public disclosures.

That figure places it as the third-largest Bitcoin holder among public companies.

It trails only Mara Holdings and Strategy in corporate Bitcoin rankings.

Tether’s latest allocation comes amid a broader corporate rush to add Bitcoin to balance sheets.

Japan-listed Metaplanet added 4,279 BTC to its treasury earlier this week.

Metaplanet’s total Bitcoin holdings now stand at 35,102 BTC following the latest purchase.

Strategy continued to raise equity and debt financing to expand what is already the largest corporate Bitcoin treasury.

Its holdings pushed beyond 670,000 BTC as 2025 drew to a close, reinforcing the growing role of corporations in Bitcoin accumulation.

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $87,840.39.