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Stablecoin Giant Tether Strikes Gold: Achieves Record Net Profit Of $4.5 Billion In Q1

Stablecoin issuer Tether, a prominent player in the cryptocurrency market behind the widely used USDT stablecoin, has released its audit statement for the first quarter of 2024, accompanied by a report conducted by independent accounting firm BDO. 

The report, which provides additional financial information beyond the reserves backing Tether’s fiat-denominated stablecoins, shows the company’s profit for the first quarter of the year, which saw an increased influx of capital into the market. 

Tether Q1 2024 Financials Soar

Digging into the numbers, the first quarter of 2024 proved highly profitable for Tether, with a net profit of $4.52 billion. 

The main contributors, the entities responsible for issuing stablecoins and managing reserves, reportedly generated approximately $1 billion of this profit from net operating gains, primarily from US Treasury holdings. The remaining profits were attributable to mark-to-market gains on Bitcoin (BTC) and gold positions.

The report also highlighted Tether’s success in increasing its direct and indirect holdings of US Treasuries to over $90 billion. This includes indirect exposure through overnight reverse repurchase agreements collateralized by US Treasuries and investments in US Treasuries through money market funds.

Tether

In a sign of significant growth, Tether also disclosed its net equity for the first time, revealing a figure of $11.37 billion as of March 31, 2024. This is an increase from the $7.01 billion equity reported as of December 31, 2023. 

The report also highlighted a $1 billion increase in excess reserves, which support the company’s stablecoin offerings, bringing the total to nearly $6.3 billion.

CEO Emphasizes Transparency And Stability

The BDO confirmation reiterated that Tether-issued tokens are 90% backed by cash and cash equivalents, underscoring the company’s stance on maintaining liquidity within the stablecoin ecosystem. Furthermore, the report revealed that over $12.5 billion worth of USDT was issued in the first quarter alone.

Tether Group’s strategic investments, which exceed $5 billion as of the report date, span various sectors, including artificial intelligence (AI) and data, renewable energy, person-to-person (P2P) communication, and Bitcoin Mining. 

In response to the latest report, Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, expressed the company’s commitment to transparency, stability, liquidity, and responsible risk management. 

Ardoino highlighted Tether’s record-breaking profit benchmark of $4.52 billion and the company’s efforts to increase transparency and trust within the cryptocurrency industry. Ardoino further claimed:

In reporting not just the composition of our reserves, but now the Group’s net equity of $11.37 billion, Tether is again raising the bar in the cryptocurrency industry in the realms of transparency and trust. 

Tether

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Toncoin Price Jumps 17% As Tether Widens Payment Choices On Telegram’s TON Network

Tether, the company behind the largest stablecoin in the market, USDT, has made a significant expansion move that has propelled the Toncoin price, the native token of The Open Network (TON), by 17% in the past 24 hours. 

Tether Expands Reach To 15 Blockchains

On Friday, Tether announced the launch of its USDT dollar-pegged token and Tether Gold (XAUT), a gold-backed digital token, on The Open Network. This development marks a significant move for Tether, expanding its presence to 15 blockchains. 

The integration of TON with Telegram, which boasts over 900 million global users, is expected to provide a “seamless and borderless” experience for peer-to-peer (P2P) payments within Telegram’s user base.

With the introduction of USDT and XAUT on TON, Tether aims to facilitate the easy transfer of value between users in the TON ecosystem and other blockchain networks while increasing the transfer speed and reducing costs. 

Paolo Ardoino, CEO at Tether, expressed excitement about the launch, emphasizing their support for The Open Network’s vision of an open and “decentralized internet.” Ardoino stated:

We’re excited to bring USD₮ and XAU₮ to The Open Network because we support its vision of an open and decentralized internet and a borderless financial system. The launch of USD₮ and XAU₮ on TON will allow seamless value transfer, increasing activity and liquidity while offering users a financial experience that can match those found in the traditional financial system. This furthers our mission of powering open financial infrastructure across the blockchain space.

11 Million TON Tokens To Drive Adoption Of USDT, XAUT

Meanwhile, The Open Network claims to “revolutionize” global peer-to-peer payments, allowing Telegram users to send money instantly without needing a blockchain address or downloading a new app. 

Notably, USDT on TON will be complemented by fully integrated on-ramps supporting most fiat currencies globally. Additionally, integrated global off-ramps will facilitate users’ withdrawal of supported fiat currencies directly to their bank accounts or cards.

The TON Foundation has allocated 11 million TON tokens as incentives to drive adoption. Five million TON will be utilized to boost rewards in USDT/TON liquidity pools across TON decentralized exchanges (DEXes) like StonFi and Dedust. 

Another 5 million TON will be distributed to users who deposit USDT to the Earn campaign of Telegram’s wallet. Furthermore, withdrawals to TON from supporting exchanges such as OKEx, Bybit, and KuCoin will be free for all users until the end of June 2024.

Ultimately, the introduction of USDT and XAUT on TON, coupled with the incentives provided, is expected to accelerate the adoption of TON and establish it as a “faster, easier and more cost-effective” cross-border payment system compared to traditional financial services, according to The Open Network’s announcement.  

Toncoin Price Rallies

Following the disclosure of the partnership, the Toncoin price surged, reaching a high of $8.02 on Friday. This marked the end of a sharp decline over the past week since the token achieved its all-time high (ATH) of $8.79 on April 11. After reaching the new ATH, the Toncoin price dropped to a low of $5.42 on Saturday, April 13.

However, with the recent partnership announcement, the Toncoin price has regained its bullish momentum and is currently trading at $6.59. 

It aims to surpass the price resistance level of $7.70, which will pave the way for reaching and surpassing the $8 mark. This would provide a favorable trajectory for the Toncoin price to conquer and exceed its current ATH.

Toncoin price

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com

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Tether Freezes 32 Crypto Addresses Linked To Terrorism In Israel And Ukraine

Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin company, has reaffirmed its commitment to combating cryptocurrency-funded terrorism and warfare by collaborating with law enforcement agencies worldwide. 

The company has frozen 32 addresses containing $873,118.34, allegedly linked to illicit activities in Israel and Ukraine. 

Tether Collaborates With Global Law Enforcement

According to a blog post on October 16, Tether has played a significant role in assisting 31 law enforcement agencies across 19 jurisdictions, freezing $835 million in assets primarily associated with thefts from blockchain and exchange hacks. 

The company’s collaborations span various countries, including Brazil, Singapore, Germany, Canada, Argentina, China, Ukraine, and the United States. By actively engaging with authorities, Tether aims to contribute to the fight against cybercrime and ensure stolen funds are returned to legitimate users. The company further stated: 

Of this, Tether has frozen 32 addresses, containing $873,118.34, that were found to be linked to illicit activity in Israel and Ukraine. Tether has been working with the NBCTF in Israel to counter cryptocurrency-funded terrorism and warfare.

The ability of Tether to freeze and return illicitly obtained funds highlights the traceability and transparency of blockchain transactions. Contrary to common misconceptions, cryptocurrency transactions are not anonymous; they are meticulously recorded on the blockchain, allowing for the tracking and tracing of fund movements. 

CEO Stresses Traceability

The recently announced CEO of Tether, Paolo Ardoino, emphasized that criminals using cryptocurrencies for illegal activities will inevitably be identified. Ardoino stated: 

Tether remains committed to promoting responsible blockchain technology use and standing as a robust defense against cybercrime. We eagerly anticipate continued collaboration with global law enforcement agencies as part of our commitment to global security and financial integrity.

While Tether’s actions demonstrate the industry’s capacity to combat criminal use effectively, some critics within the blockchain industry continue to scrutinize the crypto sector, often neglecting to address the slow or inadequately equipped traditional financial system’s role in combating criminal funding. 

On this matter, Tether’s CEO emphasized the importance of recognizing the traceability and trackability of blockchain transactions, which serve as potent deterrents to illicit activities.

As the stablecoin company behind USDT continues to collaborate with law enforcement agencies globally, the company’s efforts highlight the potential of blockchain technology to enhance financial security and integrity. 

The traceability of transactions provided by blockchain technologies offers a robust defense against cybercrime and illicit financial activities.

As the fight against cybercrime intensifies, continued collaboration between cryptocurrency companies and law enforcement agencies will play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity and stability of the digital asset space.

Tether

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com