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Tether Adds 8,888 BTC to Reserves, Becomes a Top-Five Bitcoin Holder

The buy reflects a standing policy to allocate up to 15% of realized quarterly profits to bitcoin.

Overview

  • CEO Paolo Ardoino confirmed the Jan. 1 transfer of 8,888.8888888 BTC into Tether’s reserve wallet.
  • Tether’s disclosed bitcoin holdings stand at about 96,185 BTC valued near $8.42 billion, placing its wallet among the five largest known addresses.
  • On-chain analysts estimate Tether accumulated roughly 9,850 BTC in Q4 2025, or about $876 million, including a 961 BTC Bitfinex withdrawal in November.
  • Analysts peg Tether’s average acquisition cost around $51,100 per BTC, implying more than $3.5 billion in unrealized gains at current prices.
  • Tether says bitcoin remains a minority sleeve alongside reserves dominated by U.S. Treasuries, as S&P downgraded USDT’s risk assessment to 5 (weak) citing disclosure and high‑risk asset concerns.