The stablecoin giant Tether is making waves in the US financial world. According to a recent Bloomberg report, Tether reported $10 billion in profits last year and is using those resources to expand its influence in Washington and solidify its position within the US financial system. This strategy combines increased lobbying, the hiring of top executives, the launch of a token in the US, and significant positions in the US Treasury—moves that could transform stablecoin regulation and market access.
Let’s analyze what the company is doing and what its long-term goals are.
Capital, Lobbying, and Political Hires
The company has significantly increased its lobbying efforts, boosting spending and hiring several firms to pursue a bipartisan strategy. In 2023, lobbying spending increased by more than 150%, and this activity continued into 2025, with Tether collaborating with four firms, including Miller Strategies, Ridgeline Advocacy Group, and Lilette Advisors.
In 2025, Tether also brought on board former government and payments industry officials to strengthen its presence in Washington, including Bo Hines, a former White House cryptocurrency official, and Jesse Spiro, a former PayPal executive. Company executives met privately with lawmakers. This trend is only growing as the firm prepares to support a political spending group in the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections.
Entry into the US Market and Financial Alliances
Tether has pursued a parallel market strategy to translate political access into commercial legitimacy. In January 2026, Tether launched a US-based token, USAT, through Anchorage Digital Bank NA, with Deloitte’s reserve certification, providing it with a regulated access route to the US stablecoin market. The company has also strengthened its financial ties with established institutions, primarily Cantor Fitzgerald, while making direct investments, such as a $200 million stake in Whop, a platform valued at $1.6 billion.
Analyzing the motives, these moves could be seen as an effort to transform Tether’s image, shifting from an offshore issuer under scrutiny to an integrated US player, leveraging institutional partners and political access to advocate for and shape a regulatory framework favorable to its business model.
In an environment of increasing state regulation, where the crypto sector is under particular scrutiny due to the growing influx of institutional investors, Tether’s strategy is geared towards establishing itself as a “regulator-friendly” company.
However, Tether reveals a worrying dark side: many users and regulators have requested a comprehensive audit of its reserves, which the company has yet to publish. Furthermore, scrutiny of USDT has also intensified due to its use by companies and countries sanctioned by the United States, such as Iran, which processed approximately $1 billion in crypto transactions between 2023 and 2025, overwhelmingly conducted in USDT.
