When Digital Dollars Meet Ancient Gold | Tether's Unconventional Mining Play

Tether, the world's largest stablecoin company with $168B market cap, is using its massive $5.7B first-half profits to invest heavily in gold mining operations across the entire supply chain. CEO Paolo Ardoino has flipped the traditional "bitcoin is digital gold" narrative, instead calling gold "natural bitcoin" and humanity's original decentralized store of value. The company already holds $8.7B in physical gold bars and has invested $205M in gold royalty companies, but traditional miners remain skeptical of this unconventional crypto newcomer. This strategy represents a broader trend of crypto companies maturing and diversifying into real-world assets, potentially bridging the gap between digital currencies and ancient stores of value. The move raises questions about whether crypto giants are hedging their bets or pioneering a new model for cross-sector investment.