Recent speculation surrounded Tether and its vast Bitcoin reserves, fuelled by misinterpretations of quarterly attestation data. But Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino quickly responded, reinforcing Tether’s long-held asset strategy.

Rumors Spark Doubt
The dispute began when YouTuber Clive Thompson pointed to figures in Tether’s 2025 attestation reports–from auditor BDO–that indicated a decrease in Bitcoin holdings between Q1 and Q2, from 92,650 BTC in Q1 to 83,274 in Q2, which many saw as evidence of an imminent sell-off. Cointelegraph and CoinChapter concurred.
Clarification from the Top

Ardoino posted to X to make it clear: Tether did not sell any Bitcoin; rather, he reiterated its practice of allocating profits into “safe assets” such as Bitcoin, gold, and land. In another statement released through CoinChapter, Ardoino explained what Tether’s allocation strategy entails.
Jan3 CEO Samson Mow provided more insight: Tether had transferred 19,800 BTC to Twenty One Capital (XXI), an in-house Bitcoin-native financial platform headed by Strike CEO Jack Mallers, rather than selling them off as previously believed. This included 14,000 in June and 5,800 in July; when adjusted for this transfer Tether’s holdings would actually have exceeded their Q1 total by 4,624 BTC. Cointelegraph reported this development.
CoinChapter’s Ardoino clarified this point, explaining that these transfers were part of internal asset allocation rather than market liquidation. He further stressed the firm’s commitment to investing profits into what he termed as “safe assets.” Aside from Crypto, Businesses Are Diversifying Beyond Crypto

Tether has made considerable efforts to diversify its portfolio beyond Bitcoin. According to recent reports, they now hold approximately $8.7 billion worth of gold assets, and are exploring deeper involvement across all stages of supply–from mining and refining through trading and royalties. They even invested $205 million in Elemental Altus as part of this endeavor (source Financial Times).
What This All Adds Up
Tether’s move toward Bitcoin may have appeared as a withdrawal; in reality it was part of an intelligent plan: reallocating resources within its ecosystem while adding traditional safe haven assets like gold and real estate as safeguards against market volatility. Tether’s approach offers an equilibrium between digital and tangible assets which should help it weather market fluctuations more effectively.