Tether CEO Claims USDT Reached 500 Million Users Worldwide

According to Tether executive Paolo Ardoino, the stablecoin USDT has reached 500 million users worldwide. The figure was posted on his social feed. Based on reports, that user base would represent about 6.25% of the global population. At the same time, USDT’s circulating supply is reported to be roughly $182 billion.

Tether Reports 500 Million Users

The announcement came in a short social post from Ardoino celebrating the milestone. It’s the “biggest financial inclusion achievement” in history, he said.

The company frames this as a major step for financial access, pointing to broad use in markets where traditional banking is limited. The method used to count “users” has not been made public, and the figure appears to be self-reported by Tether.

Tether USDT reached officially 500 million users! Likely the biggest financial inclusion achievement in history. https://t.co/jbmnMDwidi

— Paolo Ardoino (@paoloardoino) October 21, 2025

Use Patterns In Emerging Markets

In several emerging economies, market participants say stablecoins are used for more than trading. They are used for cross-border payments, local transfers, and as a quick store of value when local currencies fall in value.

Based on reports, people and businesses often move money into USDT to avoid volatility in their own currencies. That practical use is part of why the company emphasizes the inclusion angle.

USDT’s reported $182 billion supply places it among the largest stablecoins in circulation. Analysts tracking on-chain data note that a large portion of stablecoin flows still occur on major blockchains and centralized exchanges.

The 500 million claim has raised questions from industry observers and some analysts. How a “user” is defined is unclear: It wasn’t fully disclosed in detail if it is a unique person, a wallet address, an account on a partner platform, or an aggregate of multiple identifiers.

Reports emphasize that without detailed methodology, outside verification is limited. The number should be viewed as a company figure that signals scale, but not as an independently audited headcount.

Tether positions the milestone as a financial inclusion success. If even a portion of the 500 million are new entrants to digital finance, that would be significant.

Meanwhile, regulators in several jurisdictions are watching stablecoins more closely. That scrutiny could affect how stablecoins are used in payments and remittances going forward.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView