Tether buys $150 million stake in Gold.com to boost tokenized gold distribution

Core Insights - Tether has acquired a $150 million minority stake in Gold.com, representing a 12% ownership, as part of its strategy to enter the gold market amid rising investor interest in gold for stability [1][2]. Investment Details - The investment allows Tether to integrate its gold-backed token, XAUT, into Gold.com's platform, which facilitates access to both physical and tokenized gold [2]. - Tether and Gold.com are exploring the possibility of enabling purchases of physical gold using Tether's USDT and the newly launched USAT stablecoin [2]. Market Context - Gold prices have recently surged, exceeding $5,000 per ounce, contributing to a significant increase in the blockchain-based gold token market, which grew from $1.3 billion to over $5.5 billion [3]. - Tether's XAUT token currently dominates the tokenized gold market, accounting for over 60% and is fully backed by physical gold stored in Swiss vaults [3]. Strategic Perspective - Tether's CEO, Paolo Ardoino, emphasized that gold serves as a long-term hedge against instability rather than a short-term trade, reflecting the company's commitment to protecting its user base [4]. - Tether also announced an investment in Anchorage Digital, a regulated crypto bank, further indicating its strategic expansion in the financial services sector [4].