Tether has reduced its funding target from $20 billion to $5 billion as its $500 billion valuation faces investor scrutiny

BlockBeats News, February 4th. According to the Financial Times, stablecoin issuer Tether has lowered its funding target from the previous $15-20 billion to $5 billion, as investors questioned its $500 billion valuation target.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said in an interview that the $15-20 billion funding amount was a "misunderstanding," as it was only the maximum amount they were willing to sell, not a target. He emphasized the company's profitability and stated they were "very happy" even without selling equity. He also mentioned that Tether is highly profitable and has received "a lot of investment interest" at the $500 billion valuation level. He added that the company has not yet decided how much equity to sell, partly because insiders are unwilling to reduce their holdings.

Ardoino also compared Tether to an artificial intelligence company, saying, "AI companies generate the same amount of profit as us, just with a negative sign in front." It is reported that Tether made a profit of about $10 billion last year, mainly from the returns on its assets, but the profit is expected to drop by about 25% in 2025.

Earlier reports indicated that in September 2025, Tether sought to raise up to $20 billion at a valuation of $500 billion.