Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino issued an unconventional message this Tuesday, writing that "Bitcoin, Gold and Land are the hedge against incoming darker times." This grim remark carries weight not just because of who said it but because the backdrop for global markets is now what may be called bright.
Fresh U.S. data shows employment for March 2025 was revised down by 911,000 jobs, a huge miss that reshapes the outlook for monetary policy.
At the same time, the Federal Reserve is forced to choose between a 0.25% or 0.5% rate cut next week on Wednesday, highlighting just how controversial the economy looks heading into the end of the year.
In that context, Ardoino's mention of "darker times" reflects the same pressure points policymakers are dealing with.
What about Tether?
Tether, though, is quite well prepared, judging by Ardoino's playbook. As of June 30, 2025, the company reported $162.57 billion in assets, dominated by $105.5 billion in U.S. Treasuries, but also holding $8.72 billion in precious metals and $8.93 billion in Bitcoin.
So, Tether itself has shifted a share of its backing into assets seen as hedges rather than pure cash equivalents.
What is significant is that Ardoino is framing Bitcoin not as a speculative play but as part of the same safety basket that traditionally included gold and land. For a market searching for direction, it signals how crypto is becoming a defensive strategy.
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov
U.Today Editorial Team