TLDR:
- Tether Gold captures 60% market share as gold-backed stablecoin sector expands from $1.3B to $4B in 2025
- Company holds 520,089 troy ounces in Swiss vaults, maintaining strict 1:1 backing for each XAU₮ token
- Tether added 27 metric tons of gold in Q4 2025, exceeding most central bank purchases that quarter
- Issuer now ranks among top 30 global gold holders, ahead of sovereign nations like Greece and Qatar
Tether Gold (XAU₮) has solidified its position as the dominant player in the gold-backed stablecoin sector, controlling approximately 60 percent of total market supply.
The achievement comes as the broader gold-backed stablecoin market expanded from $1.3 billion to over $4 billion throughout 2025.
Record gold prices and mounting macroeconomic uncertainty drove investors toward tokenized precious metals as safe-haven alternatives.
Physical Reserves Match Token Supply at Year-End
TG Commodities, S.A. de C.V., the El Salvador-based issuer operating under the nation’s Digital Asset Issuance Law, confirmed its reserve holdings as of December 31, 2025.
The company held 520,089.350 fine troy ounces of physical gold in Swiss vaults. This backing supported 520,089.300000 XAU₮ tokens in circulation, maintaining the protocol’s 1:1 redemption ratio.
The total market value reached $2.24 billion at year-end, with 409,217.640000 tokens sold and 110,871.660000 available for purchase.
All reserves comply with London Good Delivery standards established by the London Bullion Market Association. The Swiss storage facilities provide institutional-grade security for the underlying assets.
Gold prices surpassed $5,000 per ounce in late 2025, contributing to increased demand for tokenized exposure. During the fourth quarter alone, Tether Gold Investments added approximately 27 metric tons to its holdings. This quarterly acquisition exceeded the gold purchases of most individual central banks during the same period.
The growth trajectory reflects broader market trends toward real-world asset tokenization on blockchain networks.
Investors increasingly seek alternatives that combine traditional safe-haven characteristics with digital asset infrastructure. The on-chain verification model allows token holders to audit reserves independently through blockchain explorers.
Institutional Scale Positions Issuer Among Top Global Holders
According to IMF data and research from Jefferies, Tether now ranks among the top 30 global gold holders worldwide.
The accumulation strategy has positioned the issuer ahead of sovereign nations including Greece, Qatar, and Australia. This achievement places significant responsibility on the company’s leadership.
Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, emphasized the weight of operating at sovereign-level scale in recent statements. “Through Tether Gold, we are operating at a scale that now places the Tether Gold Investment Fund alongside sovereign gold holders,” Ardoino stated.
He noted that XAU₮ aims to reduce ambiguity during periods of weakening confidence in traditional monetary systems. Each token represents physically vaulted gold with on-chain verification capabilities.
The regulated issuance framework under El Salvador’s digital asset legislation provides legal clarity for the tokenization structure.
Daily transparency updates allow market participants to monitor reserve levels in real time. Asset managers and fintech platforms continue adopting blockchain-based custody models for precious metals exposure.
The market expansion indicates growing institutional acceptance of tokenized commodities as legitimate alternatives to traditional ownership methods.
The combination of Swiss vault storage, regulatory compliance, and blockchain transparency addresses key concerns around digital asset backing.
Market participants gain direct exposure to physical gold prices while maintaining the liquidity advantages of digital tokens.
