Tether mulls lending to commodity traders: Report

As an analyst with over two decades of experience in the financial sector, I find Tether Holdings Ltd’s potential entry into commodities trading intriguing. Having closely observed the evolution of the digital asset landscape, it’s clear that Tether (USDT) has become a significant player, particularly in the stablecoin market.


Reportedly, Tether Holdings Limited is contemplating extending loans to commodity trading firms, as the company behind the stablecoin aims to utilize its vast earnings, as mentioned in a report published on October 14 by Bloomberg.

Tether, responsible for issuing USDT, has reportedly held talks about providing loans tied to the U.S. dollar with various commodity trading companies, according to sources close to the situation who preferred to remain anonymous, as reported by Bloomberg.

Tether did not immediately respond to CryptoMoon’s request for comment.

During those conversations, it is said that the stablecoin issuer considered the possibility of Tether (USDT) being utilized in everyday commodity trading transactions.

International merchants often depend a great deal on credit facilities for financing the transportation of goods like oil and valuable metals across borders.

Companies dealing specifically with commodity derivative products, like futures and swaps, often use credit to fund their trade transactions. The demand for derivatives linked to the real-time price of cryptocurrencies, such as futures contracts, has seen a significant increase in popularity recently.

Tether mulls lending to commodity traders: Report

In simpler terms, futures contracts represent pre-set deals to either purchase or sell a specific asset at a later time. These agreements serve as essential tools for risk management by institutional investors through hedging strategies. Additionally, futures are frequently used for speculation purposes since they enable traders to boost their directional wagers with the aid of leverage.

Approximately $290 billion is held by brokerages primarily focused on futures and options trading, as indicated in a report submitted to the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in September.

In most cases, futures contracts are primarily funded through the use of margin, which is a form of collateral. This means that while the full worth of the contract isn’t paid upfront, traders are required to deposit only a portion of it as a kind of security deposit.

Based on an announcement made on July 31st, Tether revealed unprecedented earnings amounting to $5.2 billion during the initial six months of 2024, as well as an unusually substantial hoard of U.S. treasury bonds.

As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed the impressive growth we’re experiencing, and I believe this is largely due to the increasing popularity of the USDT stablecoin. Tether assures us that for every unit of USDT in circulation, there’s a corresponding $1 in liquid US dollar-denominated assets. This affirmation comes from BDO, an independent accounting firm, which has attested to these figures.

Tether mulls lending to commodity traders: Report

As of October 14th, the total value of USDT in the market is roughly estimated to be around $120 billion, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Tether has been putting some of its earnings into related fields such as renewable energy, Bitcoin mining, data handling, artificial intelligence, peer-to-peer communication tech, brain technology, and educational sectors.

In a conversation with Bloomberg, the CEO of Tether, Paolo Ardoino, mentioned that they are investigating potential avenues in commodities, stressing that they’re currently just beginning their exploration.

Ardoino shared with Bloomberg that it’s unlikely we will reveal our planned investment amount for commodity trading at this time, as we are still working out the specifics of our strategy.

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2024-10-14 21:17