SoftBank Group and Ark Investment Management have entered preliminary discussions to participate in a private placement for Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, USDT. According to Bloomberg News, which first reported the talks, Tether is aiming to raise between $15 billion and $20 billion in exchange for roughly a 3% equity stake. This transaction could imply a company valuation of nearly $500 billion, reflecting the stablecoin issuer’s dominant market position and extensive use in digital-asset trading and settlements.
The financing round is being led by Cantor Fitzgerald, the investment bank overseen by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, with additional high-profile backers reportedly in early-stage talks. Tether has pursued significant capital to support its expansion into real-world asset investments, including sectors such as artificial intelligence, telecommunications, cloud computing and real estate. Its USDT stablecoin maintains a market capitalization around $173.5 billion, according to CoinGecko data.
Participation by global financial powerhouses like SoftBank and Ark signals growing institutional confidence in stablecoin issuers under clearer regulatory frameworks. The funds raised are expected to fortify Tether’s financial reserves, enhance transparency measures and support strategic acquisitions or investments outside the digital-asset sphere. Market analysts note that this round may set a precedent for secondary market offerings among stablecoin and digital-asset infrastructure firms as the crypto sector matures.
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