Number of USDT Stablecoin Users Exceeded 500M

• USDT has reached more than 6% of the world’s population with 500 million users.
• Ardoino called it “the biggest financial inclusion achievement in history.”
• In a video, Tether showed how stablecoin is saving businesses in Kenya.

Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, reported that the number of users of its token has exceeded 500 million people, which is approximately 6.25% of the world’s population. According to CEO Paolo Ardoino, this figure is “likely the biggest financial inclusion achievement in history.”

Tether emphasized that the figure refers to “real people”, not just crypto wallets, which indicates the widespread real-world use of USDT. Stablecoin, pegged to the US dollar, is increasingly being used as a store of value and payment for those without access to banking services.

The World Bank estimates that about 1.4 billion adults in the world are still outside the traditional financial system.

Cryptocurrencies, according to Tether, are becoming an alternative route to financial inclusion, as anyone with a smartphone can create a wallet, receive payments and store funds safely.

To mark the 500 millionth user anniversary, Tether released a 10-minute documentary about the introduction of USDT in Kenya, where locals use stablecoins not for trade but for “survival.”

The film shows how small businesses in Kenya use USDT to pay for imports, which has become a lifesaver amid the falling Kenyan shilling. For many entrepreneurs, stablecoins have become the only way to maintain operations and business stability.

According to CoinMarketCap, the market capitalization of USDT is $182.5 billion, which corresponds to 57.4% of the market share. For comparison, USDC’s closest competitor has a capitalisation of $76.8bn.

Recently, Tether announced an investment in Kotani Pay, a Kenyan fintech startup that develops online infrastructure for local payment systems.

Ardoino noted that the investment in Kotani Pay was a step towards financial inclusion in Africa, where digital currencies help to overcome restrictions on access to banking services.

According to Chainalysis, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the smallest crypto market in the world, but it is showing the fastest growth in activity: from July 2024 to June 2025, the volume of online transactions exceeded $205 billion, which is 52% more than a year earlier.

In September 2025, the media reported that the company plans to raise up to $20 billion through a private placement and could reach a valuation of $500 billion, putting it on par with OpenAI and SpaceX. The company intends to develop in the areas of artificial intelligence, energy, and media.

Earlier in October, Tether, together with Antalpha, announced plans to raise $200 million to create a company to manage the XAUT reserve, a gold-backed stablecoin.

As part of this strategy, Hong Kong-based DL Holdings and Antalpha announced a $200 million investment in tokenized gold and bitcoin mining, aiming to create a “golden triad of digital finance.”