Tether invests $150 million in Gold.com: How the crypto giant is reshaping the gold market?

A strategic partnership aimed at connecting the physical gold and digital asset worlds has officially begun. On February 5, Tether Investments announced the acquisition of approximately 12% of Gold.com’s equity for $150 million.

This collaboration not only integrates Tether’s gold stablecoin XAU₮ into Gold.com’s precious metals trading platform but also explores the possibility of supporting users in purchasing physical gold with USD₮ and USA₮.

Strategic Layout

The latest move by stablecoin issuer Tether into the precious metals sector has garnered widespread market attention. The company’s $150 million investment to acquire about 12% of Gold.com marks a deep integration of crypto assets with the traditional gold market.

Gold.com is a leading global precious metals trading platform, established in 1965, with over 60 years of industry experience. Tether is the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, with its USDT market capitalization exceeding $100 billion.

The cooperation between the two companies is not only a capital partnership but also a strategic business complement. Through this investment, Tether gains access to Gold.com’s expertise and distribution network in the physical gold sector.

Transaction Details

According to official details released by Tether, the $150 million investment will be completed in two phases.

Approximately $125 million will be invested immediately, with the remaining $25 million to be finalized upon receiving certain regulatory approvals.

Gold.com’s share price is set at $44.50 per share, representing an 11.9% discount compared to the 10-day volume-weighted average price at the close of the New York Stock Exchange on February 4. As part of the deal, Gold.com has agreed to invest $20 million of the proceeds into Tether’s XAU₮ stablecoin.

In addition to the equity investment, both parties plan to establish a multi-layered business cooperation. Tether will provide Gold.com with a gold leasing quota of no less than $100 million, and Gold.com will accept Tether stablecoins (USDT and/or USA₮) as a payment method on its platform.

Market Background

This partnership occurs against the backdrop of a historic moment in the global gold market. Recently, gold prices broke through the $5,000 per ounce mark, reaching a record high. Market analysts believe that increasing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties have reinforced gold’s traditional role as a store of value.

Meanwhile, the tokenization of gold has experienced explosive growth. Over the past 12 months, the market size of gold-backed stablecoins has grown from about $1.3 billion to over $5.5 billion, nearly tripling.

Tether Gold (XAU₮) currently accounts for over 60% of this market, with a circulating market value exceeding $2.4 billion. The table below compares key data of the gold-backed stablecoin market:

XAU₮ strictly adheres to a 1:1 physical gold backing principle, with each token representing one troy ounce of gold stored in secure vaults and linked to specific London Good Delivery gold bars.

Significance of the Partnership

For Tether, this investment is a long-term strategic move rather than a short-term trade. CEO Paolo Ardoino explicitly stated, “Gold exposure for Tether is not just a trade but a hedge and long-term allocation aimed at protecting our user base and ourselves in this increasingly unstable world.”

This partnership will enable XAU₮ to be integrated into the Gold.com platform, greatly expanding the global distribution channels for tokenized gold.

Gold.com, as a comprehensive precious metals platform, owns several well-known brands including JMBullion.com, Stack’s Bowers Galleries, and GovMint.com, serving millions of customers worldwide. Tether stablecoins will be able to reach a broader retail and institutional investor base through these channels.

Gold.com CEO Greg Roberts said, “Tether’s investment in Gold.com validates our strategy of becoming a leader in physical gold bar vertical integration.”

Industry Trends

Tether’s investment exemplifies the latest trend of integrating traditional financial assets with blockchain infrastructure. As institutional investors’ interest in tokenizing real-world assets (RWA) continues to grow, precious metals have become one of the most popular tokenization targets.

The success of XAU₮ demonstrates that combining the stability of gold with blockchain technology can create a new type of asset that possesses both traditional value storage characteristics and the convenience of modern financial tools.

This fusion not only broadens access to gold but also creates new use cases such as cross-chain transfers, collateral for DeFi protocols, and real-time settlement transactions.

Juan Sartori, head of Tether’s special projects, pointed out, “This acquisition represents an important step in the evolution of financial markets, as trusted real-world assets increasingly merge with blockchain-based infrastructure.”

Regulatory Compliance

On the same day as announcing the investment in Gold.com, Tether also disclosed another key strategic investment: a $100 million strategic equity stake in Anchorage Digital, a US-regulated digital asset bank.

These two investments demonstrate Tether’s comprehensive approach to regulatory compliance. Anchorage Digital, as the issuer of USA₮, is a key partner in Tether’s plan to launch a regulated stablecoin in the United States.

By collaborating with regulated traditional financial institutions and digital asset banks, Tether is building a more solid legal and regulatory foundation for its products.

Strategic Vision

Tether Investments, as Tether’s independent investment arm, focuses on deploying capital across multiple fields at the intersection of technology, infrastructure, and real-world utility. Its portfolio covers artificial intelligence, financial services, energy, biotechnology, and more.

The investment in Gold.com aligns with this diversified strategy, expanding Tether’s footprint in the precious metals sector and strengthening its role as a bridge between real-world assets and digital assets.

Gold.com has distribution centers near airports and IRA-approved storage warehouses, with logistics capabilities that support larger-scale exchanges between physical and digital gold. This infrastructure is crucial for Tether’s future expansion of XAU₮.

Future Outlook

Investors’ enthusiasm for Tether Gold (XAU₮) is no accident. Since 2025, the tokenized gold market has grown over threefold, reaching a valuation of $5.5 billion. With over 60% market share, XAU₮ remains the dominant leader in this emerging field.

Gate, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, has long provided trading pairs for various gold-related digital assets, including XAU₮. As barriers between physical gold and digital gold continue to break down, the combination of traditional value storage and blockchain technology is creating unprecedented opportunities for investors.

Gold, the timeless safe-haven asset, is gaining new vitality through blockchain technology.