Tether's USDT User Base Surpasses 700 Million as CEO Reveals Bitcoin Holdings of About 150,000 BTC
Key Takeaways
- •Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino announced at the Plan ₿ Forum in Lugano, Switzerland, that the USDT user base has reached approximately 730 million.
- •The latest figure represents growth of at least 195 million users, or roughly 38%, from the end-2025 estimate of 534.5 million, including about 80 million new users since August 2026.
- •Ardoino disclosed that Tether holds approximately 150,000 Bitcoin worth $11.5 billion, exceeding the roughly 100,060 BTC implied by its Q3 2026 reserve report by around 50,000 BTC.
- •BitcoinKE separately reported that Tether booked $1.5 billion in operating profit in Q3 2026 and has become one of the largest holders of gold globally.
- •Ardoino has previously stated that almost the entire USDT user base is located in emerging markets, where access to dollar-denominated financial services remains limited.
The user base of Tether's USDT stablecoin has surpassed 700 million, marking another milestone increase that underscores the continued expansion of the token's global distribution network.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino disclosed the updated figures — approximately 730 million users — during his keynote at the Plan ₿ Forum in Lugano, Switzerland, according to BitcoinKE. The milestone represents significant growth from October 2025, when Tether reported reaching 500 million users. Its estimated user base subsequently increased to 534.5 million by the end of Q4 2025 and surpassed 650 million by August 2026.
Measured against that end-2025 estimate, the latest figure of 730 million represents growth of at least 195 million users, or approximately 38%. For added context, the figure implies roughly 80 million new users since August 2026 alone.
USDT, issued by Tether, is the world's largest stablecoin by market capitalization and is designed to maintain parity with the US dollar. It is widely used for trading, remittances, and payments across global cryptocurrency markets.
Alongside the user figures, Ardoino revealed that Tether holds approximately 150,000 Bitcoin worth $11.5 billion. That amount exceeds the roughly 100,060 BTC implied by Tether's Q3 2026 reserve report, which listed $8.37 billion in Bitcoin backing the stablecoin for the third quarter of 2026. Ardoino did not explain where the additional Bitcoin is held or when it was acquired. The difference may reflect corporate investments held separately from USDT reserves. How the roughly 50,000-BTC gap is reflected in future reserve disclosures is a detail worth watching for readers tracking the composition of the company's balance sheet.
BitcoinKE has separately reported that Tether booked $1.5 billion in operating profit in Q3 2026, and that the company has grown into one of the largest holders of gold globally.
The expanding user base reinforces USDT's position as a major global dollar-based financial network. Ardoino has previously said that almost the entire USDT user base is located in emerging markets, where access to dollar-denominated financial services remains limited. For scale, counted as a single population, a base of roughly 730 million users would rank third in the world, behind only China and India.
Source: BitcoinKE — Tether's USDT User Base Surpasses 700 Million
