According to reports, Tether, the world's largest stablecoin issuer, has significantly reduced its fundraising target from an initial $15-20 billion to just $5 billion, following investor skepticism regarding its $500 billion valuation goal. Insiders revealed that Tether's CEO, Paolo Ardoino, has downplayed the anticipated scale of the new funding round. It is understood that El Salvador-based Tether is the issuer of USDT, the most widely used stablecoin globally, with a circulating token value reaching $187 billion. As early as last September, reports emerged that this stablecoin giant was planning to seek up to $20 billion in funding at a valuation of $500 billion. In response, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino clarified in an interview that the previously circulated $15-20 billion fundraising figure was a "misunderstanding"—this amount merely represented the maximum equity stake the company was willing to sell, not the actual funding target. He further emphasized that Tether is already highly profitable even without selling any equity and that the company is "very satisfied" with this position. Ardoino also drew a comparison between Tether and artificial intelligence (AI) companies, stating bluntly, "AI companies have profit margins comparable to ours—except you need to put a minus sign in front." It was reported that Tether's net profit last year was approximately $10 billion, primarily derived from investment returns on its asset holdings; however, its profit for 2025 saw a year-on-year decline of about 25%. Ardoino added that Tether has "received significant investment interest" at the $500 billion valuation level, but the equity sale has not been finalized, partly due to insiders' reluctance to reduce their shareholdings.