Tether Expands Into AI for Smartphones as Users Top 650M

Tether plans to roll out lightweight AI tools that run on ordinary smartphones in developing markets where the company already has a large user base and widespread use of its USDT stablecoin.

The company plans services targeting health, finance and sports for regions with limited digital infrastructure, including parts of Africa and South America. The applications are designed to operate on low-end devices rather than requiring heavy computing power.

Paolo Ardoino, Tether’s chief executive, said the company will focus on practical applications that can run on ordinary phones and reach users with limited internet and device capacity.

Ardoino described Tether as “both a digital dollar company and a digital gold company” and noted USDT remains the firm’s core product in many markets where people use dollar-linked assets to hedge against inflation or unstable local currencies.

Tether has not published a detailed product roadmap or launch dates and did not name technical partners or suppliers. Internal discussions have included a possible model that charges small recurring fees payable in digital currencies for access to AI features.

An independent review by KPMG found Tether’s reserves exceeded liabilities by about $6.8 billion and included an accounting of roughly 150 tons of gold stored in Switzerland. Tether’s reported USDT supply stands near $183 billion.

Company executives say the reserve surplus and the size of the USDT base provide financial room to build products beyond stablecoins. They describe the company’s more than 650 million accounts as a distribution channel for infrastructure services outside traditional crypto functions.

Tether frames the initiative around wider access to AI and warns unequal access could widen existing economic divisions. The company says the initial offerings will emphasize accessibility and low compute requirements.