Most Influential: Paolo Ardoino
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino is transforming the stablecoin issuer into a global financial force through regulatory compliance and massive investments.Summary
Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, has emerged as a major figure in global financial infrastructure transformation in 2025, moving the stablecoin issuer beyond its historically opaque reputation. Tether launched USAT, a dollar stablecoin designed to comply with the new U.S. GENIUS Act, partnering with traditional finance (TradFi) entities like Cantor Fitzgerald as a reserve custodian and Anchorage Digital as the issuer, signaling a move to compete with services like PayPal.
Beyond stablecoins, Ardoino is leveraging Tether's massive balance sheet—with Q3 2025 profits exceeding $10 billion and a 99% profit margin—to transition the company into a financial infrastructure provider. Tether has invested in over 120 companies, expanded into Bitcoin mining (aiming to be the largest miner by year-end 2025), and acquired significant holdings in physical gold, which Ardoino calls "bitcoin in nature."
Furthermore, Tether is extending its influence outside finance by becoming the second-largest shareholder in the Italian soccer giant Juventus, seeking an active role in its governance, demonstrating Ardoino's ambition to build a global footprint far beyond cryptocurrency.
(Source：CoinDesk)