Concerns regarding the financial stability of stablecoin issuer Tether resurfaced this week after BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes cautioned that the company could encounter significant difficulties if the value of its reserve assets were to decline. However, CoinShares’ head of research, James Butterfill, contested these claims.
In a Dec. 5 market update, Butterfill stated that fears over Tether’s solvency “appear misplaced.”
He highlighted Tether’s latest attestation, which indicates $181 billion in reserves against approximately $174.45 billion in liabilities, resulting in a surplus of nearly $6.8 billion.
“While risks associated with stablecoins should not be disregarded, the current data does not suggest systemic vulnerability,” Butterfill wrote.
Tether continues to be one of the most profitable companies in the sector, generating $10 billion in the first three quarters of the year — an exceptionally high figure on a per-employee basis.
Related: Arthur Hayes advises Zcash holders to withdraw from CEXs and ‘shield’ assets
The latest source of Tether anxiety
While speculation regarding Tether’s financial health is nothing new — media outlets have scrutinized its reserves and asset backing for years — the latest wave of solvency concerns seems to have originated from Arthur Hayes.
The BitMEX co-founder asserted last week that Tether was “in the early stages of managing a significant interest-rate trade,” arguing that a 30% decline in its Bitcoin (BTC) and gold holdings would “eliminate their equity” and render its USDt (USDT) stablecoin technically “insolvent.”
Both assets constitute a considerable fraction of Tether’s reserves, with the company increasing its gold exposure in recent years.
Tether is receiving scrutiny from more than just Hayes. CEO Paolo Ardoino recently challenged S&P Global’s downgrade of USDt’s ability to maintain its US dollar peg, dismissing the downgrade as “Tether FUD” — standing for fear, uncertainty, and doubt — and citing the company’s third-quarter attestation report in its defense.
S&P Global downgraded the stablecoin due to stability concerns, pointing to its exposure to “higher-risk” assets such as gold, loans, and Bitcoin.
Tether’s USDt remains the largest stablecoin in the cryptocurrency market, with $185.5 billion in circulation and a market share of nearly 59%, according to CoinMarketCap.
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