The cross-border investment matrix of stablecoin giant Tether: which future tracks are they betting on?

Payment, Wallet, exchange, mining, AI, high-performance computing, neurotechnology, education, media all in the bag.

Written by: KarenZ, Foresight News

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino disclosed on July 23 that “its investment portfolio now encompasses over 120 companies, and this number is expected to grow significantly in the coming months and even years. These investments are all derived from Tether’s own profits (with a projected profit of 13.7 billion dollars in 2024), completely isolated from the reserves of USDT (and other stablecoins), falling under the business scope of Tether Investments.”

Tether Investments is a company established by Tether under the laws of the Republic of El Salvador, focusing on strategic investments across various fields that intersect technology, infrastructure, and practical utility. Its portfolio covers areas such as artificial intelligence, financial services, energy, biotechnology, education, and digital media, and holds strategic equity in industries such as commodities, remittances, sports, and entertainment, extending its reach beyond stablecoins.

Tether pointed out in its Q1 2025 report that through Tether Investments, it has continuously made strategic investments, having invested over 2 billion dollars in long-term projects in areas such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence, peer-to-peer communication, and data infrastructure, committed to building a sustainable digital economy.

Tether has five major sectors on its official website: Finance, Power (renewable energy mining), Data, Edu (education), and Evo (human evolution). From the layout of these five major sectors, it is not difficult to glimpse Tether’s strategic betting direction.

• Tether Finance is committed to promoting financial inclusion by enhancing global financial accessibility in areas where banking infrastructure is lacking or absent. This is specifically reflected in stablecoins, Tether Wallet development kits, asset tokenization, TradeFi, and investment.
• Tether Power focuses on the integration of renewable energy and Bitcoin mining;
• Tether Data develops artificial intelligence and P2P technology, and Tether’s support for initiatives like Holepunch and Pears.com highlights its backing for peer-to-peer technology. The investment in Northern Data will bolster AI research and projects.
• Tether Edu is committed to expanding access to educational tools and resources. Tether’s investment in the Academy of Digital Industries in Georgia and support for PlanB.Network is breaking down educational barriers and driving the gig economy.
• Tether Evo is committed to empowering humanity in the inevitable evolution of the future. Tether’s investment in Blackrock Neurotech is leading the development of neurotechnology, creating brain-machine interfaces and opening new fields for communication, rehabilitation, and cognitive enhancement.

This article will summarize and introduce the 25 portfolios disclosed by Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino.

Source: Tether Official Website

Digital Finance (Payment / exchange / Wallet / Stablecoin, etc.)

CityPay

CityPay is a digital currency payment solution for businesses that allows companies to accept cryptocurrency payments and receive local fiat currency. Previously reported by Tech.eu, CityPay completed a €2 million seed round of funding in August 2023, which included a $500,000 cryptocurrency investment from investors such as Tether and Presto Ventures. In May 2024, Tether made an additional investment in CityPay.

Fizen

Fizen is a Hong Kong fintech company focused on self-custody cryptocurrency wallets and digital payments. Fizen’s three main products include Fizen Super App, Fizen Pay payment gateway, and Fizen Ramp (a collection of solutions for buying and selling cryptocurrency using fiat currency).

In April 2025, Tether announced a strategic investment in Fizen to enhance the use of global stablecoins and self-custody solutions.

Kem

Kem was founded in 2021 as a P2P payment platform focused on the Middle East, allowing users to instantly remit money to contacts via QR codes without the need for traditional accounts or payment links, and also supports investments in gold and spending with Kem Infinity Cards. In August 2024, Kem secured $3 million in strategic financing from Tether, while also integrating USDT into its platform.

Mansa

Mansa is a liquidity engine that is transforming global payments through a stablecoin-based smart liquidity solution. In February 2025, Mansa completed a $10 million seed round financing, with Tether leading a $3 million equity investment. The funds raised will be used to support the company’s expansion into Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Oobit

Oobit is a crypto mobile payment app that allows users to make payments using Oobit anywhere Visa and Mastercard are accepted, enabling seamless cryptocurrency to fiat transactions. In February 2024, Oobit completed a $25 million Series A funding round led by Tether Investments, with participation from CMCC Global’s Titan Fund, 468 Capital, and Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko. Subsequently, Tether announced a partnership with the TON Foundation and Oobit to create a seamless crypto payment solution.

Orionx

Orionx is a Chilean cryptocurrency exchange with operations across Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico. In June 2025, Orionx completed its Series A funding round exclusively led by Tether, which will help Orionx consolidate its regional business, enhance its technological capabilities, and expand its stablecoin-driven infrastructure to support remittances, payments, and financial services in the Latin American region.

Quantoz

Quantoz is a stablecoin issuer licensed by the Dutch Central Bank, set to launch two new stablecoins, USDQ and EURQ, in November 2024, compliant with the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, respectively pegged to the US dollar and the euro. That month, Tether announced a strategic investment in Quantoz.

It is worth noting that although Tether is not among the stablecoin issuers approved under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework, its investment Quantoz meets the MiCAR standards.

Synonym

Synonym is a Bitcoin-centric software and service ecosystem developer, offering the self-custody Bitcoin and Lightning Network Wallet Bitkit, the Pubky application (a key-based network), and providing Lightning services for Bitcoin users through Blocktank.

Shiga Digital

Shiga Digital provides virtual accounts, over-the-counter trading services, fund management, and external services for African businesses. Shiga has registered as a licensed virtual asset service provider in the EU. Shiga Digital is developing an on-chain gateway that allows users to directly purchase everyday goods and services with USDT without the need to exchange for local currency, connecting cross-border economies.

In June 2025, Tether announced a strategic investment in Shiga Digital. This collaboration will build a seamless blockchain financial infrastructure supported by USDT.

Sorted Wallet

Sorted Wallet provides cross-border payments, stablecoin hedging, cryptocurrency investment, crypto consumption, P2P on-chain payments, and staking services for users in Africa and the South without bank accounts through Bitcoin and USDT. In September 2024, Tether announced a strategic investment of $1.5 million in Sorted Wallet.

Twenty One Capital (XXI)

Twenty One Capital (XXI) is a treasury company focused on Bitcoin. In April 2025, Tether, SoftBank Group, and Jack Mallers jointly launched Twenty One, with the majority stake held by its co-founders, Tether, and Bitfinex, while SoftBank Group holds a minority stake. According to the official website, Twenty One Capital currently holds 31,500 BTC (funded by Tether and Bitfinex).

Twenty One will also develop an enterprise architecture for financial products built on Bitcoin, which includes native lending models, capital market instruments, and innovations that will replace traditional financial tools with alternatives aligned with Bitcoin in the future.

XREX Group

XREX Group has established its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore to strengthen ties with banks, credit card companies, and payment providers, focusing on blockchain-based payment solutions.

In June 2024, Tether announced an investment of $18.75 million in XREX Group. XREX Group plans to use the new funds to further promote the use of USDT in cross-border payments in emerging markets and intends to collaborate with Tether to develop regulatory technology tools to detect and prevent the illegal use of stablecoins. XREX later partnered with Unitas Foundation to launch the stablecoin XAU1, which is pegged to the US dollar. XAU1 is over-collaterized with Tether Gold (XAUt), providing customers with a stable alternative and inflation hedging tool.

Zengo

Zengo is a cryptocurrency Wallet provider that uses institutional-grade MPC (Multi-Party Computation) solutions. In February 2025, Tether announced a strategic investment in Zengo Wallet, which will further enhance Zengo’s capabilities across its blockchain platform, seamlessly supporting Tether stablecoins. This investment will also support the development of Zengo Pro. Zengo Pro is a premium product designed to enhance the user experience through features like anti-theft protection, legacy transfer functionality, and real-time assistance.

Education / Media

Tether stated, “Tether is committed to creating a world where education knows no boundaries and knowledge is within reach, breaking down barriers in the education sector and providing users with courses that adequately equip them to tackle various challenges of the digital age and seize opportunities of the era.”

Academy of Digital Industries

Academy of Digital Industries is a digital industry academy in Georgia. Some of the courses listed on the official website include cybersecurity courses, basics of cryptocurrency, AI practical courses, graphic design, interior design, social media, programming, search engine optimization, and more, most of which are paid courses.

Be Water

Be Water is an Italian media company, Be Water, which includes podcast production companies Chora Media, Will Media, and film production and distribution company Be Water Film. In March 2025, Be Water acquired 30.4% of Be Water’s shares (10 million euros). The two parties will collaborate to enhance digital content distribution and integrate new technological solutions. Be Water will also develop a comprehensive technological infrastructure that utilizes blockchain and digital tools to distribute high-quality independent content globally.

PlanB.Network

The Tether portfolio does not list PlanB.Network, but it is mentioned in its education section as providing support for PlanB.Network. PlanB.Network focuses on Bitcoin education, offering tutorials on various topics including Bitcoin wallets, nodes, mining, exchanges, privacy, and computer security.

Mining / High-Performance Computing / Data / AI / Neurology Technology

Adecoagro

Adecoagro is a South American company that produces food and renewable energy through sustainable production methods. Tether previously invested $100 million in September 2024 to acquire a 9.8% stake in Adecoagro, committed to supporting and expanding sustainable real-world asset (RWA) production. In April 2025, Tether Investments acquired a 70% controlling stake in Adecoagro. The two parties will collaborate on a renewable energy Bitcoin mining project in Brazil. Adecoagro currently operates 230 megawatts of renewable energy generation facilities in South America, and this project will explore the feasibility of utilizing surplus power for Bitcoin mining.

Bitdeer

Bitdeer is a Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing service provider and operator. In May 2024, Bitdeer signed a subscription agreement with Tether, obtaining $150 million in private placement financing from Tether to support the expansion of Bitdeer’s data centers and promote the R&D of ASIC miners. In March 2025, Tether increased its stake in Bitdeer, and Tether and its subsidiaries Tether International, SA de CV and Tether Investments, SA de CV currently hold a total of 31,891,689 shares of Class A common stock in Bitdeer, accounting for 21.4% of the company’s issued shares.

Blackrock Neurotech

Blackrock Neurotech was founded in 2008 at the University of Utah by scientists and BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) pioneers Florian Solzbacher and Marcus Gerhardt, and has rapidly developed into a technology leader in the fields of neuroscience, neuroengineering, and neurorestoration. Through Blackrock Neurotech’s innovative brain-computer interface technology, patients can operate robotic arms, maneuver wheelchairs, send messages, browse the internet, and even drive cars. Blackrock Neurotech’s devices have proven capable of achieving thought-to-text communication, with typing speeds of up to 90 characters per minute and direct speech encoding speeds of up to 62 words per minute.

At the end of April 2024, Tether announced that it had invested $200 million in Blackrock Neurotech. This investment was made through Tether’s newly established venture capital division, Tether Evo, and will help Blackrock Neurotech fund the commercialization and promotion of its medical solutions, as well as support its research and development efforts.

Holepunch

Holepunch is a platform for creating applications without any servers, supported by Tether and Hypercore (a company that develops peer-to-peer, scalable, and cryptographically secure distributed systems). Its first product is the fully encrypted video calling application Keet. Holepunch offers a range of small JavaScript modules that can be combined to create various P2P applications (ranging from VPNs to communication tools like Keet). Holepunch’s Pear is a composable peer-to-peer runtime, development, and deployment tool.

Tether and Bitfinex are providing funding support for Holepunch. Paolo Ardoino previously disclosed a preview of the AI applications being developed by Tether Data, including AI translation, AI voice assistants, and AI Bitcoin wallet assistants. Tether plans to launch an open-source AI SDK platform based on Holepunch’s JavaScript runtime Bare, suitable for embedded devices, various mobile phones, laptops, and server clusters. Tether Data’s AI applications will focus on local operation, emphasize privacy protection, and support self-custody of data and funds.

Northern Data Group

Northern Data Group is a provider of AI and high-performance computing services, with businesses including AI Cloud (Taiga Cloud) and Ardent Data Center. The group’s expected revenue for the full year 2025 is between €240 million and €320 million, with adjusted EBITDA expected to be between €80 million and €130 million.

In September 2023, Tether announced a strategic investment in Northern Data Group through its subsidiary Damoon. In November 2023, Northern Data secured a debt financing limit of €575 million from Tether. In November 2024, Northern Data Group raised €214 million through a new share issuance (with Tether Investments subscribing to a portion of the new shares) to further invest in NVIDIA GPUs to accelerate the growth of the Northern Data Group cloud platform and expand the company’s physical data center footprint in Europe and the United States.

Others

Crystal Intelligence

Crystal Intelligence is a blockchain analytics company used for cryptocurrency crime investigations, compliance, and risk management. In July 2025, Tether Crystal Intelligence made a strategic investment. Both companies supported the development of Scam Alert ( scam-alert.io ), which can mark wallet addresses related to scams and abuse activities in real-time.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated: “Tether firmly supports law enforcement agencies in combating illegal activities. With the latest advanced intelligence tools being developed by companies like Crystal Intelligence, Tether is enhancing its ability to assist law enforcement agencies in real-time tracking of fund flows. Tether has helped freeze billions of dollars in illegal funds and supported investigations across dozens of jurisdictions. Abuse of USDT, and law enforcement will find you.”

Elemental Altus Royalties

Elemental Altus Royalties is a gold royalty company listed in Canada, offering investors greater exposure to gold investments while reducing risk and possessing strong growth potential. In June 2025, Tether Investments acquired 37.8% of Elemental Altus Royalties and has the right to acquire 51.8% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Elemental Altus Royalties.

Paolo Ardoino stated: “Tether’s growing investments in gold and Bitcoin reflect the company’s forward-looking strategy to build a more resilient and transparent financial system. Just as Bitcoin provides the ultimate decentralized hedge against currency inflation, gold remains a time-tested store of value. By acquiring a diversified portfolio of gold royalties through Elemental Altus Royalties, Tether is strengthening its support for its own ecosystem while advancing the development of Tether Gold and future commodity-backed digital assets.”

Rumble

Rumble is a video sharing platform that completed a strategic investment of $775 million from Tether in Q1 2025. Rumble will also launch a cryptocurrency wallet supporting USDT, Rumble Wallet.

Rumble will launch a Bitcoin financial strategy in November 2024 and will spend 17.1 million dollars to buy 188 BTC in March 2025, with an average purchase price of 91,000 dollars per Bitcoin.

Juventus Football Club

Juventus Football Club was founded in 1897 and is one of the oldest clubs in Italy. Tether Investments acquired a minority stake in the club in February 2025 and subsequently increased its share in Juventus Football Club to 10.12% in April, holding 6.18% of the voting rights, with the aim of integrating its expertise in digital assets, payments, and AI and biotechnology into the sports industry.