Tether bought 8,888 BTC on December 31, a purchase valued at roughly $779 million–$800 million that pushed its disclosed bitcoin holdings past the 96,000 BTC mark. The accumulation, reported across on-chain trackers and market outlets, continued a programic reserve strategy the company formalized in 2023.
The December 31 transaction increased Tether’s publicly disclosed bitcoin balance to above 96,000 BTC, placing the stablecoin issuer among the five largest known bitcoin holders and making it the second-largest privately held corporate bitcoin treasury after MicroStrategy, according to market reports and on‑chain trackers.
The acquisition of 8,888 BTC was reported at a value between $779M and $800M by multiple outlets, which tracked the movement to Tether‑controlled wallets.
Tether’s bitcoin purchases are part of a broader reserve diversification that also includes gold and U.S. Treasuries. The company’s policy, introduced in May 2023, allows it to allocate up to 15% of quarterly realized operating profits to bitcoin as a long‑term store of value and to reduce reliance on fiat reserves, according to coverage of the disclosure.
Implications for markets, treasuries and regulation
For traders and institutional treasuries, Tether’s scale matters. By steadily removing tens of thousands of coins from potential sell‑side liquidity, the issuer can magnify supply shocks and increase volatility in stressed conditions. Market participants therefore need to factor Tether’s flows into liquidity and risk models, particularly around option expiries and leveraged positioning.
Regulatory scrutiny is another consideration. The company’s expanding hard‑asset exposure and its role as the largest stablecoin issuer have prompted questions about transparency and compliance with evolving frameworks such as the EU’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets rules. Observers recommend that counterparties and custodians press for clear, timely reserve disclosures to assess counterparty risk.
Investors and treasuries will be watching Tether’s forthcoming quarterly reserve statements and profit disclosures for confirmation of further allocations under the 15% policy.
