Tether, the company behind the world’s largest stablecoin, is preparing for a fund raising round and SoftBank Group and Ark Investment Management are looking to join, but final commitments have not yet been made.
According to Bloomberg’s report on Friday, the investment firms are among high-profile backers holding early discussions as Tether seeks new capital to boost its global presence.
Tether Targets Record-Breaking Valuation
Tether is looking to raise between $15 billion and $20 billion by selling about a 3% stake through a private deal. If this deal goes through, the company could be valued at close to $500 billion. That would make Tether one of the most valuable private companies in the world, in the same league as OpenAI, and other tech giants
The company is being advised by New York-based investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald, which has long been run by Howard Lutnick, now serving as U.S. Commerce Secretary.
Bloomberg reported earlier in the week that Tether’s plan could become one of the largest crypto funding deals ever attempted.
Stablecoin Giant Expands Its Reach
Tether is the biggest player in the stablecoin market. Its main token, USDT, is tied to the value of the U.S. dollar and is widely used for trading and moving money quickly the crypto world without relying on banks.
According to CoinGecko, USDT has a market value of about $173 billion, making it the largest stablecoin in circulation.
The El Salvador-based company has also invested in other sectors including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, telecommunications, and even real estate.
SoftBank, led by Masayoshi Son, has a long history of investing in new technology, including chips, AI, and self-driving cars. The firm started increasing its exposure to the crypto space recently. Ark Invest, run by Cathie Wood, has also expanded its digital asset portfolio, previously investing in Circle, a direct rival to Tether.
Also Read: Theta Capital is Seeking $200M for its Blockchain Fund-of-Funds
