Arthur Hayes Questions Tether's $23B Hard Asset Allocation as Rate-Cut Hedge

Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes has raised questions about Tether's balance sheet strategy, suggesting the stablecoin issuer is positioning for Federal Reserve rate cuts through substantial hard asset purchases. Hayes noted Tether holds approximately $13 billion in gold and $10 billion in Bitcoin. He warned that a 30% decline in these combined holdings could theoretically eliminate the firm's equity buffer, raising solvency concerns under such a scenario.