Tether has launched a new self-custodial digital wallet, Tether.Wallet. This move targets Tether's existing 570 million stablecoin users and supports its flagship USDT and gold-backed XAUT tokens, along with Bitcoin and the USAT stablecoin.
The wallet facilitates transactions across multiple networks including Ethereum, Polygon, Plasma, and Arbitrum for USDT and XAUT. Bitcoin support extends to both mainnet and the Lightning Network. A key feature allows users to send funds using email-like identifiers, bypassing complex wallet addresses. Transaction fees are paid in the asset being transferred, eliminating the need for separate network tokens.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated the goal is to make digital infrastructure more accessible and usable for end-users, removing complexity to drive broader adoption. He described the wallet as "the People's Wallet," built for mainstream users and envisioned for a future of seamless, high-speed transactions involving humans, machines, and AI agents.
Tether operates the world's largest stablecoin, USDT, with a market value near $185 billion, and also issues Tether Gold (XAUT), representing physical gold ownership. This wallet launch marks Tether's most direct engagement with end-user infrastructure, potentially challenging established digital wallets.