So, it was really interesting to follow this recent interview with Bo Hines, CEO of Tether USAT, during New York Bitcoin Investors Week. The guy worked at the White House on cryptocurrency policies and now he’s leading one of the most important projects of the moment — basically, he has privileged insight into what’s happening at the intersection of crypto and institutions.

The most interesting point for me was when he started talking about what USDT is and the difference with the new USAT. A lot of people still confuse these things, but to sum it up: USDT is Tether’s international stablecoin, while USAT is the U.S. regulated version by OCC (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency). Basically, what USDT is serves as a bridge to the global market, and USAT is the institutional entry point in the U.S.

One highlight was when he mentioned that Tether has around 530 million global users, growing by 30 million per quarter. And look at this: a profit of US$ 10 billion in 2025 with only 300 employees. The company is also the 13th largest gold holder in the world, and it’s already among the largest holders of U.S. Treasury bonds — they plan to enter the top 10 this year.

But what really caught my attention was the conversation about why stablecoins are so important right now. It’s not just about yield, as the media keeps hyping. It’s about user experience. He explained that interbank transfers in the U.S. are still incredibly slow and expensive — adopting stablecoins will completely change that. Imagine: settlement in T+0 instead of T+2 or T+1. For international remittances, that would be revolutionary.

The Genius Act was already approved in July last year, and now everyone is waiting for the Clarity Act to pass (he thinks there’s an 80-90% chance). These two pieces of legislation are essentially the regulatory framework that crypto needed.

One important detail: Tether is much more than a stablecoin company. They’re heavily investing in technology, from robotics to blockchain infrastructure. And yes, they are “Bitcoin maximalists” — Bitcoin is part of their reserves, and they see stablecoins as the first step for people to enter the digital asset ecosystem.

What impressed me was how clearly he explained the real challenge: you need to build a blockchain that can handle massive volumes with low costs. That’s the game now — it’s no longer about speculation; it’s about infrastructure. Banks are starting to understand that stablecoin integration is inevitable, and companies like Tether are positioned well ahead of that.

Tether’s reserves now are mainly U.S. Treasury securities, gold, and Bitcoin — very aligned with compliance standards. Transparency is the name of the game.

In the end, what’s clear is that we’re seeing the beginning of a much larger integration between public blockchains and the traditional financial system. Stablecoins are the key, and what USDT or USAT is isn’t just a technical curiosity anymore — it’s the infrastructure of the future financial world.