孙正义和“木头姐”都考虑入股，“稳定币老大”Tether估值直逼OpenAI

Group 1 - Tether, the largest stablecoin issuer globally, is attracting top investors, with a potential financing round that could raise its valuation to an astonishing $500 billion [1] - SoftBank Group and ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, are considering investing in Tether, aiming to acquire about 3% of the company, with a potential total investment of up to $20 billion [1] - If successful, Tether's valuation would match that of AI leader OpenAI, placing it among the most valuable private companies in the world [1] Group 2 - Tether's strong interest from investors stems from its dominant position in the stablecoin market, with its USDT market capitalization at approximately $173.6 billion, consistently ranking first globally [2] - The stablecoin market has evolved from a mere cryptocurrency trading tool to a strategic financial asset, with Tether generating substantial profits by investing user deposits in interest-bearing assets [2] - Tether reported a net profit of $4.9 billion for Q2 2025, a 277% year-over-year increase, making it one of the most profitable companies in the crypto industry and globally [2] Group 3 - Despite its success, Tether faces potential risks as short-term U.S. Treasury yields have declined from their peaks in 2023 and 2024, indicating a need to diversify revenue sources [2] - Tether has begun to diversify its business lines into commodities, energy, and media sectors to mitigate reliance on a single income source [2] - In late 2023, Tether announced a transition into infrastructure and energy production, completing its first crypto venture investment in 2024 by committing funds to Arcanum Capital [3]