According to Odaily, Whale Alert has reported that at 6:44:35 UTC+8, Tether Treasury minted an additional 1 billion USDT on the Ethereum blockchain. Tether's CEO, Paolo Ardoino, clarified that this transaction is authorized but not yet issued. It is intended to serve as inventory for upcoming issuance requests and on-chain exchanges.

According to BlockBeats, recent data from DefiLlama indicates that the total market capitalization of stablecoins has increased by 3.04% over the past week, reaching $178.115 billion. This marks the highest level since May 2022, reflecting a significant growth in the stablecoin sector.Among the stablecoins, Tether (USDT) has seen a market cap increase of 2.24%, now standing at $123.216 billion. USDT continues to dominate the stablecoin market with a substantial market share of 69.18%. This growth underscores the ongoing demand and reliance on USDT as a key player in the cryptocurrency market.Additionally, USD Coin (USDC) has experienced a notable rise in its market capitalization, growing by 7.06% to reach $37.066 billion. This increase highlights USDC's expanding role and acceptance within the digital currency ecosystem. The growth in both USDT and USDC market caps reflects broader trends in the cryptocurrency market, where stablecoins are increasingly being used for transactions, trading, and as a store of value.

According to U.Today, Tether Investments, the trading and investing division of the stablecoin ecosystem Tether, has successfully completed its first crude oil purchase. This marks a significant step for the company as it ventures into commodities and real-world asset trading. Tether, known for issuing the U.S. Dollar Tether (USDT) stablecoin, facilitated the loading and transportation of 670,000 barrels of Middle Eastern crude oil, valued at approximately $45 million. This transaction is the first of its kind for Tether Investments in the region, highlighting the company's growing ambitions in the commodities trading sector.

Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, emphasized the potential of using USDT for large-scale commodities and real-world asset trading. He stated that this transaction underscores Tether's commitment to transforming the trade finance landscape by introducing efficiency and speed to markets traditionally reliant on slower and more costly payment methods. Ardoino expressed that this is just the beginning, as Tether aims to support a broader range of commodities and industries, promoting inclusivity and innovation in global finance. The investments arm of Tether operates independently from the company's stablecoin reserves and benefits from Tether's high profitability.

This initial transaction opens up opportunities for Tether Investments to expand into various sectors, including financial, technology, agricultural, and asset-backed industries. As previously reported by U.Today, Tether has been introducing products in new segments of the digital economy. Since mid-2023, the company has been investing heavily in cryptocurrency mining software and supporting several 'Green Mining' initiatives worldwide. This strategic move into commodities trading and real-world asset transactions reflects Tether's broader vision of diversifying its operations and enhancing its role in the global financial ecosystem.