Tether CEO slams S&P ratings agency and Influencers spreading USDt FUD

S&P Global downgraded USDT to its lowest stability rating, citing rising exposure to volatile assets (Bitcoin, gold, loans, corporate bonds) and ongoing transparency gaps such as limited audits and unclear reserve details. The agency warned that in a severe market downturn these assets could lose value and threaten the dollar peg.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino rejected the downgrade, arguing S&P uses outdated traditional-finance methods, ignores Tether’s excess reserves, strong income from Treasuries, and long track record of maintaining the peg. He accused S&P and certain influencers of spreading FUD and misunderstanding how a modern, digitally native stablecoin operates.

Bottom line:

S&P sees structural risk and weak transparency; Tether claims strong capitalization and industry bias in the rating. The dispute highlights the ongoing tension between traditional risk models and crypto-native financial systems.$