Tether adds 30M USDT wallets every quarter as user base hits 500M

Tether’s USDT stablecoin continues to expand at a fast pace, with the company adding more than 30 million new wallets every quarter, according to CEO Paolo Ardoino. The steady growth rate has taken the platform’s total number of wallets to about 500 million.

The growth has accelerated over the past year. In the third quarter of 2024, Tether recorded a 9% increase in new wallets, reaching 36.25 million additions during the period. Ardoino later revealed that by November 2025, the total number of USDT wallets had climbed to around 500 million, with the majority of users located in developing countries. He added that the figure was on track to surpass 530 million by early 2026.

Industry analysts attribute USDT’s sustained growth to its widespread availability, low-cost cross-border transfers, and increasing use outside crypto trading. In many developing economies, the token is increasingly used as a digital alternative to the US dollar for preserving purchasing power and facilitating international payments.

The milestone also comes as Tether continues to broaden its ambitions beyond stablecoins. The company has expanded investments into artificial intelligence, communications infrastructure, energy, and financial technology while maintaining that USDT remains the foundation of its business.

Tether saw impressive growth in Q4’2025

A total of more than 35 million customers joined the Tether stablecoin network during Q4 2025. The company’s market capitalization had grown to $187.3 billion, while some of its competing stablecoins lagged behind. Also, on-chain analysis showed an increase in the number of USDT holders to 139.1 million, while the number of active users reached an all-time high of 24.8 million per month.

It should be noted that, at the time the report was issued, the company explained its growth was mainly due to real-world demand rather than speculative trading. However, Q4 was not the only quarter with impressive stats. During the first three quarters of 2025, the firm’s attestation also reported a total of 174.4 billion USDT in circulation, with adequate reserves.

For years, CEO Ardoino has always insisted that the company’s USDT aims to provide essential banking, savings, and remittance tools where traditional finance fails. And so far, Tether has built a massive grassroots following in developing countries, and it is pretty much the go-to currency for trading on major exchanges outside the US. Thus, more USDT in circulation means fresh cash is flowing into the ecosystem through institutional buyers and retail fiat deposits.

Tether is investing in AI and energy

Aside from stablecoins, Tether is diversifying into AI, tech media, and energy production. The company recently unveiled upgrades to its QVAC software development kit, enabling advanced AI applications to run more efficiently on everyday devices. It has now integrated the system with TurboQuant technology.

TurboQuant usually compresses complex AI models, maintaining high performance while eliminating the need for specialized data centers.

Last year, Antalpha committed to putting up to $40 million into Tether Gold at market rates through the middle of 2026. Backed by physical gold, XAUT delivers traditional asset stability with the transaction speed of blockchain network tech.

Last year, the company backed Kenyan fintech Kotani Pay to boost Africa’s blockchain payment systems. The move was meant to capitalize on the 52% annual spike in Sub-Saharan crypto transactions. So far, Chainalysis data shows that, while Sub-Saharan Africa remains the smallest crypto market globally, transaction volumes are climbing quickly. The region generated more than $205 billion in on-chain crypto activity between July 2024 and June 2025.

“At Kotani Pay, we have been fortunate to witness and build on the rising usage of blockchain technology on the continent across a variety of use cases. This strategic investment from Tether better positions us to continue our work as a bridge to the on-chain economy, connecting millions of Africans to the global financial system,” said Felix Macharia, CEO and Co-founder at Kotani Pay.

Ardoino even commented at the time: “Kotani Pay’s vision and strong regional presence make it the right fit to drive our shared goals in Africa. Together, we aim to provide businesses and individuals with access to digital assets for their global operations, reduce friction in cross-border transactions, and build a more inclusive financial future while promoting the informed use of digital assets.”

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