Key Takeaways
- Arthur Hayes suggests Tether is within the early phases of a large interest-rate commerce, betting that Fed cuts will damage Treasury revenue however ship Bitcoin and gold larger.
- He argues {that a} main drop in Bitcoin and gold positions might wipe out Tether’s fairness.
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BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes argues that Tether is positioning itself for an upcoming Fed rate-cut cycle by shifting a better share of its reserves into Bitcoin and gold.
Hayes wrote on X on Saturday that Tether’s most up-to-date attestation suggests the agency is making ready for a rate-cut surroundings, which would cut back returns on Treasuries however might drive up the value of Bitcoin and gold.
Nonetheless, the analyst cautioned {that a} sharp decline in these riskier belongings might pressure Tether’s fairness cushion and reignite long-running questions on USDT’s solvency.
The Tether people are within the early innings of working a large rate of interest commerce. How I learn this audit is that they suppose the Fed will minimize charges which crushes their curiosity revenue. In response, they’re shopping for gold and $BTC that ought to in idea moon as the value of cash falls.… pic.twitter.com/ZGhQRP4SVF
— Arthur Hayes (@CryptoHayes) November 29, 2025
Based on the most recent reserve report, Tether holds round $181 billion in belongings to again USDT. The majority of that is in money and liquid securities, together with Treasury payments, repo, and cash market devices.
Different holdings embody almost $13 billion in treasured metals, near $10 billion in Bitcoin, and greater than $14 billion in secured loans, together with a number of smaller funding classes.
Tether was not too long ago assigned a “weak” stability ranking by S&P International Scores after boosting its holdings of riskier belongings, together with Bitcoin, inside its reserves. S&P famous that this method will increase the probability of undercollateralization within the occasion of heightened crypto market stress.
In response, Tether stated the S&P’s ranking framework is outdated and doesn’t mirror the size of its every day settlement flows.