Tether Expands Into AI With Tether.ai As USDT Supply Nears $150 Billion

Tether, the company behind the popular stablecoin USDT, is expanding its horizons by venturing into the realm of artificial intelligence. On May 5, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino announced the upcoming launch of Tether.ai, an open-source AI platform designed to operate on a variety of devices. This move comes as USDT approaches a significant milestone, with its circulation nearing $150 billion.

Tether.ai is envisioned as a project that aims to deliver personalized and adaptable intelligence, drawing inspiration from the imaginative AI systems described in classic science fiction, particularly those envisioned by Isaac Asimov. Ardoino emphasized the goal of creating a technological foundation that is open source, transparent, scalable, and capable of adapting and evolving on any device, regardless of hardware. The company is already developing an AI software development kit (SDK) to support the platform, with plans to roll out applications that function locally on users’ devices. These applications include language translation tools, a privacy-focused voice assistant, and a Bitcoin wallet AI companion, all designed to enhance self-custody and reduce reliance on cloud-based services.

In addition to Tether.ai, the company is advancing a decentralized messaging app called Keet. Keet is designed to offer secure, peer-to-peer communication without relying on central servers, addressing concerns about data sovereignty in a world where critical communications are often routed through a few large tech companies. Tether's ambitions in the AI space extend further with its research unit, Tether Data, which is working on neural technology. In February, Ardoino revealed that the team had created an electrocorticography (ECoG) plugin capable of converting brain signals into text, a development that could support future brain-to-device interfaces and advanced assistive technologies.

While Tether explores cutting-edge AI, its core USDT stablecoin product continues to grow. As of the latest data, the USDT supply has reached $149.3 billion, marking a roughly 10% increase in 2025 alone. According to the firm’s latest attestation report, these assets are primarily backed by US Treasury assets, with nearly $120 billion held in US Treasuries, including indirect exposure via money market funds and repo agreements. This growth underscores the stability and reliability of USDT, which remains a cornerstone of the cryptocurrency market.