Tether Reveals 650 Million Users, Charts Course Into AI for Emerging Markets

Tether disclosed that its products reach more than 650 million users worldwide, concentrated mainly in Africa and South America, with CEO Paolo Ardoino stating the company now sees itself as a digital dollar and digital gold company rather than a cryptocurrency firm. Tether plans to expand into lightweight AI applications for developing markets in areas like healthcare and finance that run on standard smartphones, though no timeline or business model has been disclosed. Ardoino denied reports that Tether is building its own blockchain, reaffirming its multi-network strategy across Ethereum, Tron, and Solana, and the company completed a KPMG audit confirming reserves exceed liabilities by $6.8 billion.