Tether Makes U-Turn on USDT Loan Issuance, Adds $200M to Portfolio

• Tether Holdings has resumed lending its USDT coins to customers.
• The move comes less than a year after Tether announced winding down the practice.
• Tether Holdings has not disclosed the borrowers or the accepted loan collateral.

According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Tether Holdings, the issuer of stablecoin USDT, has resumed lending its coins to customers. The report cited that the move comes less than a year after Tether had announced its intention to wind down the practice.

WSJ highlighted that a spokeswoman for Tether confirmed the issuance of new loans. Moreover, the report disclosed that Tether’s latest quarterly financial update indicated that its assets now include $5.5 billion in loans as of June 30. The figure is a notable increase from the $5.3 billion reported in the previous quarter.

Furthermore, WSJ mentioned that Tether referred to the loans as “secured loans,” providing minimal information about the borrowers and the accepted collateral. It argued that Tether’s decision to resume lending has raised concerns within the crypto community due to the potential risks involved.

It further noted that while most of the company’s reported assets consist of Treasury bills and other safe, easily convertible instruments, loans pose a different risk profile. According to WSJ, Tether Holdings cannot guarantee loan repayment, the ability to sell loans for dollars if needed, or the adequacy of the collateral held.

Meanwhile, Alex Welch, a spokeswoman for Tether Holdings, stated that the decision to resume lending was prompted by short-term loan requests from longstanding clients in the second quarter of 2023. Besides, she reiterated the company’s commitment to eliminating loans by 2024. Welch also emphasized Tether’s goal of preventing significant liquidity depletion for customers and potential losses resulting from the sale of collateral at unfavorable prices.