Tether’s $500 Billion Dream: Tokenizing Shares to Lock In Valuation and Curb Shareholder Sales

Tether, the stablecoin giant behind USDT, is exploring tokenizing its stock—because why stick to traditional shares when blockchain-based equity is an option? According to Bloomberg, the move aims to provide liquidity to investors while preventing them from selling shares at steep discounts. A $500 billion valuation—placing Tether alongside OpenAI and SpaceX—hardly screams 'trust us,' but management is pushing ahead. Last week, an unnamed shareholder attempted to offload $1 billion worth of equity at a valuation of just $280 billion. A Tether spokesperson called such moves 'reckless,' insisting that any unauthorized sales would be swiftly shut down. Meanwhile, Tether is raising $20 billion in new funding, aiming to expand its already $186 billion stablecoin empire—a sum more than double Circle’s USDC, currently valued at $78 billion. Beyond tokenized stock, Tether is diversifying into healthcare with its QVAC app, humanoid robotics, and even Italian soccer—having bid for Juventus. CEO Paolo Ardoino, a lifelong Juventus fan, is living out his sports fandom dreams. Whether Tether’s grand ambitions will pay off remains uncertain, but one thing’s clear: the stablecoin issuer isn’t content with just underpinning crypto markets—it’s eyeing a much bigger role.