Tether acquisition signals move into commodities
While everyone else in the stablecoin industry has its eyes on big banks and hedge funds, the issuer of the world's largest stablecoin, tether, is watching a much older business: commodities.
Why it matters: Stablecoins are the biggest story in crypto policy right now — and may well be the biggest story in finance before long.
Driving the news: In a move that may seem unexpected for a company primarily known as a liquidity instrument for trading bitcoin and its progeny, Tether recently acquired a 70% stake in Adecoagro, an agriculture and energy company operating in Latin America.
Adecoagro's been in business for more than 20 years, and generated around $1.5 billion in revenue last year from farming food crops and producing renewable energy from sugarcane.
It calls itself one of the largest owners of productive farmland in South America.
Between the lines: "The bulk of our investments are companies that are furthering and expanding our distribution network," Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino tells Axios.
That's distribution of tether, or USDT, the company's massive dollar-backed stablecoin.
Many of those investments — around 90 made over the last several years — have been directed toward expanding street-level use of USDT by retail traders, but Tether's eyeing another giant market now, as the Adecoagro deal illuminates, Ardoino says.
The big picture: "The biggest reason in the next five years of growth for USDT will be commodity trading," Ardoino says.
"In my opinion, commodity trading and all the international deals for commodity trading...will run on stablecoins," he says. Commodity traders tell them about the pain of using traditional finance.
In November, Tether announced that USDT had been used in financing a trade of crude oil worth $45 million.
The advantage of this, Ardoino explains, is that ships won't start loading oil until the wire clears. That can take days with payments as we know them, but USDT settles nearly instantly.
State of play: Tether first started talking about trade finance late last year, but having an actual commodities business gives it new leverage.
What's next: With Tether now steering it, Adecoagro will be looking to use stablecoins more as it sells rice, bio-ethanol and other agriculture products throughout its network.
The bottom line: "As of today, the adoption of USDT and the growth of USDT has been done very organically. In the number of hundreds of millions of users," Ardoino says. That got the stablecoin to a $150 billion market cap.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
26 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Little Pepe Presale Advances to Stage 4 Following Stage 3 Sellout
Stage 3 of the Little Pepe ($LILPEPE) presale has concluded more quickly than initially projected, reflecting notable activity around the token. Little Pepe is a meme-themed cryptocurrency centered around a frog motif, aiming to establish an open and decentralized ecosystem through its native token. The project is built on a newly developed Layer 2 blockchain designed to enhance scalability, lower transaction costs, and support community governance—features intended to distinguish it from typical meme coins. Presale Progress and Token Distribution The Little Pepe ($LILPEPE) presale is structured in multiple stages, with incremental price increases at each phase. Stage 3 recently concluded with approximately 2.25 billion tokens sold at a rate of $0.0012 per token. Stage 4 is currently active, offering tokens at $0.0013. To date, the presale has raised approximately $2.55 million toward a $4.475 million target. In Stage 4, 2.276 billion tokens have been sold from a total allocation of 3.75 billion. Overall, 26.5% of the total 100 billion $LILPEPE token supply has been designated for the presale. This tiered pricing model is intended to structure access based on early participation, with lower token prices available in earlier stages and increasing in later Giveaways and Community Engagement To further incentivize participation, Little Pepe is conducting a giveaway campaign. Ten lucky individuals will be given $77,000 worth of $LILPEPE tokens each, totaling $770,000 in prizes. Entering the giveaway involves contributing a minimum of $100 during the presale and completing a few uncomplicated social media tasks. Investors can purchase $LILPEPE tokens using ETH or USDT (ERC-20) through popular wallets such as MetaMask or Trust Wallet. USDT buyers are advised to retain some ETH to pay for gas fees. Credit and debit card payment options are also being added to enable easy onboarding of non-crypto users, thus broadening the presale's accessibility. USP and Security Little Pepe's Layer 2 blockchain is customized for meme tokens, offering speedy transactions on the order of nanoseconds with ultra-low fees and an equally high level of security. The project prioritizes absolute fairness and transparency, with no transaction tax and some of the most robust anti-bot measures to deter unfair trading during token launches. Liquidity lock assures no rug purchases; governance is granted to the community via the DAO model. The idea of sustainability is upheld, rather than riding hype waves. Conclusion Stage 3, as seen in the Little Pepe presale selling out quickly, speaks to the enormous market demand for a meme coin that offers cultural utility. The $LILPEPE project stands out in the crypto space with $2.5 million raised recently for giveaways and a Layer 2 blockchain offering scalability and fairness. About Little Pepe Little Pepe isn't just a fleeting meme; it is a Layer 2-backed ecosystem having a clear path to mass adoption. Having Stage 4 approaching its sellout and a price increase to $0.0014 in the next stage, investors have an opportunity to get in before the token lists on prominent exchanges. As the crypto market matures, meme coins that blend culture with infrastructure will be the ones that thrive. And Little Pepe is proving it's ready to lead that movement, one meme at a time. Contact COO
Axios
5 hours ago
- Axios
Exclusive: Niural lands $31M to streamline global payroll
Niural, a global payroll and finance operations startup, has raised $31 million in Series A funding, CEO Nami Baral tells Axios exclusively. Why it matters: Over half of all global companies experience payroll-processing errors at least once per quarter, per Deloitte. How it works: Niural operates a full-stack global professional employer organization (PEO) that automates payroll, benefits, vendor payments, and compliance in over 150 countries. The platform is powered by Emma, an AI agent that provides guidance and can also execute payroll and HR actions on behalf of users. Emma, Baral says, "doesn't just surface help‑desk articles; it actually completes the payroll and HR actions for you." With that automation, she says Niural can cut HR costs by up to 50% while saving clients over 60 hours of manual work each month. Between the lines: In addition to payroll, Niural offers services like accounts receivable, accounts payable and cash flow reporting, which reduces the need for managing multiple vendors. Customers initially come to Niural to manage payroll, but Baral says most adopt three to six other tools once they see the platform. "We saw a gap in how companies managed money outflows — payroll, benefits, vendor payments. That's where we start, but we aim to be the system of intelligence for the entire CFO suite," Baral says. By the numbers: Niural claims it has grown ARR 7x in the past year and reduced payroll errors for its customers by 90%. The big picture: The global payroll market is becoming crowded with players like Rippling, Deel, Remote and others expanding internationally. But Baral says most PEOs rely on third-party software to manage large parts of their operations. Niural, by contrast, spent multiple years building its payroll stack from scratch. "Ninety percent of U.S. PEOs still run on the same third-party system — Prism HR. Its infrastructure hasn't changed in decades. We knew we had to own the stack to innovate," she says. Zoom in: Marathon Management Partners led the round, which included participation from M13, Inspired Capital, Newform Capital, and others. Marathon's Gokul Rajaram, a board member at Coinbase, The Trade Desk, and Pinterest, is joining Niural's board as part of the deal. Niural previously raised $10 million in seed funding.
Business Upturn
a day ago
- Business Upturn
APT Miner Gains Traction as Smart Money Turns to Passive Crypto Strategies Amid Bitcoin's Surge
Warrington, United Kingdom, June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With BTC nearing $110,000, investors are ditching speculation for daily mining income with trusted platforms like APT Miner June 27, 2025 – As nearly $20 billion in Bitcoin options expire today, tension in the cryptocurrency market is building. Bitcoin's recent recovery above $107,000 has reignited bullish momentum, with market sentiment pointing toward a push past the psychological $110,000 mark. Options data paints a clear picture: bullish bets dominate with over $11.2 billion in call contracts, surpassing the $8.8 billion in puts. Within the key $106K–$108K range, $2.1 billion in call options show that many expect continued upward movement. From Watching the Market to Earning From It Even as altcoins like ETH, DOGE, SUI, and XRP enjoy strong runs, retail investors often struggle to profit. Fast-moving markets can make it difficult to buy at the right time or sell before a reversal. In response, a growing wave of strategic investors is turning to a more stable, passive approach: cloud mining. APT Miner : Where Crypto Assets Go to Work One platform rising rapidly in popularity is APT Miner, a UK-licensed cloud mining provider founded in 2018. Unlike traditional trading or complex mining setups, APT Miner offers a simple, secure way to earn daily income from cryptocurrencies, without the stress of market timing or hardware investment. With over 9 million users across 180+ countries, APT Miner has become a preferred option for holders of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, XRP, and other major assets looking to turn idle coins into consistent cash flow. Why Investors Are Shifting to APT Miner APT Miner allows users to participate in crypto mining through flexible contracts, all without needing any technical background or equipment Key Benefits of APT Miner: No hardware or setup required – choose a mining contract and start instantly. – choose a mining contract and start instantly. Daily earnings , profits, and principal are settled automatically every 24 hours. , profits, and principal are settled automatically every 24 hours. Flexible terms – 7, 15, 30, or 55-day contracts to suit short or long-term goals. – 7, 15, 30, or 55-day contracts to suit short or long-term goals. Multi-currency support – BTC, ETH, DOGE, XRP, USDT, SOL, and more. – BTC, ETH, DOGE, XRP, USDT, SOL, and more. Zero-cost trial – new users receive $15 in free computing power and a $0.60 daily sign-in bonus. APT Miner also prioritizes security and transparency, offering clean-energy mining operations, multi-layer account protection, and licensed compliance. Solving Two Big Investor Problems APT Miner addresses the challenges most crypto holders face today: Idle assets: Many hold their crypto waiting for 'the right time'—but miss real opportunities in the meantime. Complex mining options: Traditional mining requires hardware, knowledge, and electricity costs. APT Miner removes those barriers entirely. By simplifying mining and offering predictable daily returns, APT Miner transforms speculation into a stable, long-term income stream. Conclusion: In a Volatile Market, Stability Wins As Bitcoin eyes the $110,000 milestone, some investors remain fixated on charts and trends. But others have found a smarter, more consistent path—earning while they sleep through passive mining. With APT Miner, your coins don't just sit—they work. Every hour. Every day. New users can enjoy $15 of free computing power after registration and start their steady mining journey! Visit now: Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or trading recommendations. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and the possibility of losing funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
