稳定币霸主Tether瑞士囤金80吨 直言“黄金比国家货币更安全”

Core Viewpoint - Tether Holdings SA has established its own vault in Switzerland to store approximately $8 billion worth of gold reserves, emphasizing that gold is logically "safer than any national sovereign currency" [1][4]. Group 1: Company Overview - Tether currently holds nearly 80 tons of gold, making it one of the largest holders of gold globally, alongside major banks and sovereign nations [1]. - The company's gold reserves are roughly equivalent to the total value of precious metals and other commodities held by UBS Group AG, accounting for nearly 5% of Tether's overall reserves [1][2]. - Tether issues the stablecoin USDT, which aims to maintain a 1:1 value with the US dollar, with a current circulation of approximately $159 billion [1]. Group 2: Market Context - The explosive growth of stablecoins has raised concerns among regulators and law enforcement, particularly regarding Tether's large scale and past questions about its reserve status [2]. - Stablecoins are digital currencies that maintain stable value by being pegged to core reserve assets like the US dollar, euro, or gold, and are becoming mainstream assets in the global financial market [2]. Group 3: Regulatory Environment - Recent regulations in the EU and proposed legislation in the US typically exclude gold and other alternative assets as suitable backing for stablecoins, allowing only sovereign cash and cash equivalents [3]. - If Tether aims to gain legal authorization in these markets, it may be required to sell the gold used to support USDT [3]. Group 4: Gold Market Insights - The price of gold has increased by approximately 25% this year, driven by investor demand for hedging against geopolitical tensions and trade wars [4]. - Central banks and sovereign institutions have shown strong purchasing demand for gold, contributing to the rising prices [4][5]. Group 5: Operational Strategy - Tether has opted to own its vault rather than using common vault operators in the precious metals industry, citing cost considerations [5]. - The company believes that as the scale of its gold-backed tokens increases, owning its vault will ultimately reduce gold storage costs significantly [5].