A groundbreaking strategic partnership is set to bridge the worlds of physical gold and digital assets. On February 5, Tether Investments announced the acquisition of approximately 12% equity in Gold.com for $150 million.
This collaboration not only integrates Tether’s gold-backed stablecoin XAU₮ into Gold.com’s precious metals trading platform, but also explores the possibility of allowing users to purchase physical gold using USD₮ and USA₮.
Strategic Positioning
Tether, the leading stablecoin issuer, has made a significant move into the precious metals sector, attracting widespread market attention. With a $150 million investment to acquire roughly 12% of Gold.com, Tether is driving a deeper integration between crypto assets and the traditional gold market.
Gold.com is a global leader in precious metals trading, established in 1965 and boasting over 60 years of industry experience. Tether, meanwhile, is the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, with USDT’s market cap exceeding $100 billion.
This partnership is more than a financial alliance; it represents a strategic synergy. Through this investment, Tether gains access to Gold.com’s expertise and distribution network in the physical gold market.
Deal Details
According to Tether’s official announcement, the $150 million investment will be completed in two phases.
Approximately $125 million will be invested directly and executed immediately, while the remaining $25 million will be finalized after receiving specific regulatory approvals.
Gold.com’s share issuance price is $44.50 per share, reflecting an 11.9% discount compared to the 10-day volume-weighted average price at the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on February 4. As part of the deal, Gold.com has agreed to invest $20 million of the proceeds into Tether’s XAU₮ stablecoin.
Beyond equity investment, the two parties plan to establish a multi-layered business partnership. Tether will provide Gold.com with a gold leasing facility of no less than $100 million, while Gold.com will accept Tether stablecoins (USDT and/or USA₮) as payment on its platform.
Market Context
This collaboration comes at a historic moment for the global gold market. Recently, gold prices surpassed $5,000 per ounce, reaching an all-time high. Analysts attribute this to mounting macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, which has reinforced gold’s traditional role as a store of value.
At the same time, the tokenized gold market is experiencing explosive growth. Over the past 12 months, the market for gold-backed stablecoins has surged from around $1.3 billion to over $5.5 billion, nearly tripling in size.
Tether Gold (XAU₮) currently commands over 60% of this market, with a circulating market cap exceeding $2.4 billion. The table below highlights key data for the gold-backed stablecoin market:
| Metric | 12 Months Ago | Current (February 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Market Size | ~$1.3 billion | Over $5.5 billion |
| XAU₮ Market Share | Not specified | Over 60% |
| Gold per XAU₮ | 1 troy ounce | 1 troy ounce |
| Gold Reserve Backing | ~140 tons | ~140 tons |
XAU₮ strictly adheres to a 1:1 physical gold backing principle, with each token representing one troy ounce of physical gold stored in secure vaults and linked to specific London Good Delivery bars.
Significance of the Partnership
For Tether, this investment is a long-term strategic move rather than a short-term trade. CEO Paolo Ardoino made it clear: "Gold exposure for Tether is not a trade, it’s a hedge and a long-term allocation, designed to protect our user base and ourselves in an increasingly unstable world."
This partnership will integrate XAU₮ into the Gold.com platform, significantly expanding the global distribution channels for tokenized gold.
As a comprehensive precious metals platform, Gold.com owns several well-known brands, including JMBullion.com, Stack’s Bowers Galleries, and GovMint.com, serving millions of customers worldwide. Tether stablecoins will be able to reach a broader range of retail and institutional investors through these channels.
Gold.com CEO Greg Roberts remarked, "Tether’s investment in Gold.com validates our strategy to become the vertically integrated leader in physical bullion."
Industry Trends
Tether’s investment exemplifies the ongoing convergence of traditional financial assets and blockchain infrastructure. As institutional interest in the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) continues to grow, precious metals have become one of the most sought-after tokenization targets.
The success of XAU₮ demonstrates that combining the stability of gold with the efficiency of blockchain technology can create new asset classes that offer both traditional store-of-value characteristics and the convenience of modern financial tools.
This fusion not only increases gold’s accessibility but also creates new use cases, such as cross-chain transfers, collateral for DeFi protocols, and instant settlement.
Juan Sartori, Head of Special Projects at Tether, noted, "This acquisition represents an important step in the evolution of financial markets, as trusted real-world assets and blockchain-based infrastructure become increasingly integrated."
Regulatory Compliance
On the same day it announced the Gold.com investment, Tether also disclosed another major strategic move: a $100 million equity investment in Anchorage Digital, a US federally regulated digital asset bank.
These two investments reflect Tether’s comprehensive approach to regulatory compliance. As the issuer of USA₮, Anchorage Digital is a key partner in Tether’s plan to launch regulated stablecoins in the US.
By partnering with regulated traditional financial institutions and digital asset banks, Tether is building a stronger legal and regulatory foundation for its products.
Strategic Vision
Tether Investments, as Tether’s independent investment arm, focuses on deploying capital across sectors where technology, infrastructure, and real-world utility intersect. Its portfolio spans artificial intelligence, financial services, energy, biotechnology, and more.
The investment in Gold.com aligns with this diversified strategy, expanding Tether’s presence in the precious metals sector and strengthening its role as a bridge between real-world and digital assets.
Gold.com operates distribution centers near airports and IRA-approved storage facilities, providing the logistics to support large-scale exchanges between physical and digital gold. This infrastructure is critical for Tether’s future expansion of XAU₮.
Looking Ahead
Investor enthusiasm for Tether Gold (XAU₮) is no coincidence. Since 2025, the tokenized gold market has more than tripled, reaching a market cap of $5.5 billion. With over 60% market share, XAU₮ has firmly established itself as the leader in this emerging sector.
As a global leader in cryptocurrency trading, Gate has long provided users with a variety of gold-related digital asset trading pairs, including XAU₮. As the barriers between physical and digital gold continue to fall, the integration of traditional stores of value with blockchain technology is creating unprecedented opportunities for investors.
Gold, the timeless safe-haven asset, is gaining new vitality through the power of blockchain technology.
