Tether has announced the launch of USAT, a federally regulated stablecoin for the U.S. market. This new asset is created in accordance with the Genius Act.
Are you ready?
— USAT (@usat) January 27, 2026
USA₮ is now live. 🚀
The digital dollar that moves at internet speed. Always 1:1. Instant. Borderless.#USAt #Tether pic.twitter.com/SI6EUehv7o
The issuance is managed by Anchorage Digital Bank, N.A., the first federally licensed stablecoin issuer in the United States. The reserves for the token will be held by Cantor Fitzgerald as the designated custodian and primary dealer.
Initially, USAT will be available on exchanges such as Bybit, Crypto.com, Kraken, OKX, and through the payment service Moonpay.
“USAT offers institutions an additional option: a stablecoin made in America. USDT has proven for over a decade that digital dollars can provide trust, transparency, and utility on a global scale,” noted Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino.
The company's plans to launch an “American” stablecoin for the U.S. market were first revealed last May. In September, it was announced that the local division would be led by Bo Hines, a former executive director of the Cryptocurrency Advisory Council under President Donald Trump.
Later, representatives of the issuer confirmed the asset's release and added that Rumble would be the key platform for its promotion, where Tether invested $775 million in December 2024.
Gold Rush
Tether also reported that XAUT accounts for more than half of the entire market for stablecoins backed by physical gold. The total value of this segment is estimated at $5 billion, with over $2 billion attributed to the issuer's USDT asset.
Tether Gold Accounts for More Than Half the Entire Gold-Backed Stablecoin Market as XAU₮ Surpasses $4 Billion in Value
— Tether (@tether) January 26, 2026
Read more: https://t.co/BXrxBWsgHX
As of the fourth quarter of 2025, there were 520,089 XAUT in circulation, with a market capitalization of $2.6 billion.
Ardoino stated that the fund holding physical bars to back the stablecoin, Tether Gold, now has reserves comparable to several sovereign gold holders.
In September, the company's total gold reserves reached 116 tons, comparable to those of South Korea and Hungary. At that time, analysts from investment bank Jefferies suggested that Tether could purchase an additional 100 tons of physical gold by the end of the year.
In the fourth quarter, the firm added 27 tons to its reserves. According to a press release, it is now among the top 30 global gold holders, surpassing Greece, Qatar, and Australia.
Demand for tokenized precious metals is rising amid a rally. On January 26, the price of gold first broke the $5000 mark.
It is worth noting that the volume of value transferred via USDC from Circle in 2025 exceeded that of USDT.