Over 7.66 tons of fine gold: this is the amount of physical reserve that currently backs Tether Gold, the XAUt token, in full expansion while physical gold sets new highs above 3,400 dollars per troy ounce.
What is Tether Gold and why is it growing alongside physical gold?
Tether Gold (XAUt) is a digital token fully backed by physical gold stored in dedicated reserves. This asset allows investors to gain direct exposure to the price movement of the precious metal without the need to physically manage the bars. By the end of the second quarter of 2025, the attestation report from BDO Italia confirmed the presence of 7.66 tons of gold to cover over 259,000 tokens in circulation. The market capitalization exceeds 800 million dollars.
The price of XAUt closely follows the spot value of physical gold, which is currently trading just below 3,400 dollars per troy ounce. In the last 12 months, the price of XAUt has recorded an increase of 40%, reflecting the performance of spot gold in the same periods.
Released in January 2020, XAUt is available on leading platforms such as Bybit, Bitfinex, BingX and KuCoin, and has recently also arrived in Thailand through the Maxbit exchange. This ensures increasing accessibility in global markets.
Why physical gold and Tether Gold are attracting so many investors now?
The new gold rush originates in a macroeconomic scenario marked by uncertainty and increasing geopolitical risks. Consequently, both institutional investors and central banks are significantly increasing their physical gold reserves. The World Gold Council has tracked an unequivocal trend: over 1,000 metric tons of gold accumulated by central banks in 2024, the third consecutive year above this threshold. The vast majority of institutions foresee a continuous growth of reserves in the next 12 months.
Il 95% dei banchieri centrali crede che le riserve di #centralbank #gold aumenteranno nei prossimi 12 mesi. Altri risultati chiave in questa intervista! https://t.co/Uz2MYkGKo8
— World Gold Council (@GOLDCOUNCIL) 25 giugno 2025
In parallel, professional investors are shifting masses of capital towards exchange-traded funds (ETF) linked to gold. In just the first six months of 2025, 38 billion dollars have flowed in, representing the highest inflow in the last five years. The collective reserves have grown by about 397 tons of physical gold.
According to Christopher Gannatti of WisdomTree, “this is not normal”: for decades central banks have been net sellers of gold, but now the trend is reversed. In a world where currencies increasingly become a geopolitical weapon, gold remains, as Gannatti adds, “one of the few assets that easily cross borders and regimes.”
How much does geopolitics weigh on the demand for gold and XAUt?
International tensions, combined with aggressive economic policies and trade tariffs of the United States under the current Trump presidency, are generating widespread fears regarding global financial instability. This situation amplifies the role of gold as a safe haven asset.
In particular, the economist Peter Schiff emphasized that the true driver of gold’s appeal remains inflation. The USA data show a recovery of inflationary pressures, and the Federal Reserve anticipates an acceleration of price increases in the second half of 2025, driven by new tariffs that raise costs for both producers and consumers.
Su CNBC, @michaelsantoli ha spiegato l’aumento di $55 dell’oro, a poco meno di un nuovo record, affermando che l’oro non viene più scambiato sui fondamentali. Certo che lo fa. Non è solo l’aumento del rischio geopolitico che porta all’acquisto di oro come bene rifugio, ma anche l’aumento del rischio di inflazione.
— Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) 13 giugno 2025
In front of this scenario, Bitcoin is confirmed as “digital gold” for the crypto community, but physical gold and its digital counterpart, XAUt, remain the favorites during macroeconomic storms.
What advantages does Tether Gold offer compared to traditional physical gold?
XAUt combines the advantages of physical gold (security, long-term value stability, total redeemability in bars) with the portability, speed, and divisibility typical of digital assets. Users can transfer, trade, or fraction even minimal amounts of gold directly on the blockchain.
From the second quarter of 2025, the omnichain version of Tether Gold on The Open Network (TON) increases liquidity and multi-chain interoperability, confirming the global and innovative vocation of the asset.
What changes for those who invest in gold and XAUt now?
The evolution of the digital-gold market revolutionizes the options for investors of all levels, offering the best of both worlds: the eternal solidity of gold and the tech efficiency of the blockchain. However, watch out for price fluctuations: although XAUt faithfully mirrors the spot value of physical gold, the normal market oscillations typical of commodities remain valid.
Furthermore, the growing institutional involvement pushes both physical gold and XAUt towards unprecedented levels of liquidity and transparency. For those looking for a partially “decentralized” alternative to central banks and the fiat system, this is a strategic turning point.
Key Trends and Outlook: Can Everything Change Soon?
The current rally reflects a historical convergence between the world of traditional finance and that of digital assets backed by real commodities like gold. In the future, global demand could continue to rise in the face of geopolitical pressures and macro changes: everything will depend on inflation, international crises, and the moves of central banks.
For investors, monitoring market updates and innovations on major crypto platforms is essential. The future of XAUt is more connected than ever to physical gold, but also to the logic of tokenizing reserves. Follow the community to stay updated on new trading and custody opportunities: everything can change in the coming weeks.