Tether launches tether.wallet, a self-custodial digital assets wallet to extend access to USD₮ and other assets

Tether, which describes itself as one of the largest digital asset companies and a key issuer of the USD₮ stablecoin, has released tether.wallet, a self-custodial mobile application aimed at bringing its financial network directly to individual users. The company says the app targets the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who remain excluded from conventional banking services.

Tether’s stated focus over the past decade has been expanding financial access in emerging economies and in regions affected by chronic inflation. The company says these populations—often close to half of the world’s inhabitants—have historically lacked reliable tools for saving, sending money, or participating in the global economy.

Scale and reach

As of March 2026, Tether says its solutions reach more than 570 million active users. It adds that growth is accelerating, with tens of millions of new accounts joining each quarter across both developing and mature markets.

Until now, Tether positioned itself as an “invisible backbone” of the digital economy, enabling liquidity, cross-border settlements, and everyday payments across more than 160 nations. USD₮ is described as the preferred digital counterpart to the U.S. dollar for individuals, businesses, and entire economies.

What tether.wallet does

In a blog post, Tether says tether.wallet is designed to place that infrastructure into users’ hands, shifting it from an institutional layer to a tool for daily use. The wallet focuses on assets it says matter most to ordinary users, including dollar-pegged tokens such as USD₮ and USA₮, gold-backed XAU₮, and Bitcoin.

The company says these holdings operate across several blockchain networks, while the interface is intended to reduce common barriers for non-technical users. For example, senders can transfer value using human-friendly identifiers such as an email-style address rather than copying long wallet strings that can lead to costly mistakes.

Tether also says transaction costs are handled automatically in the currency being moved, removing the need for users to hold separate “gas” tokens across different chains.

Self-custody and security approach

Security and user sovereignty are presented as central to the product. Tether says tether.wallet is fully self-custodial by design, with private keys and backup phrases remaining exclusively under the owner’s control.

The company adds that every transaction is approved locally on the device before it reaches the network, aiming to preserve independence from third parties.

“This represents the most impactful financial inclusion achievement humanity has witnessed,” stated Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino. “People can now move money as effortlessly as exchanging a text message—all while retaining full ownership and bypassing middlemen.”

Technology foundation and supported networks

Tether says the wallet is built on its open-source Wallet Development Kit (WDK). It describes the kit as a flexible foundation intended to support not only human users but also future applications involving devices and artificial intelligence agents conducting instant, high-volume exchanges.

At launch, tether.wallet supports USD₮ and XAU₮ across Ethereum, Polygon, Plasma, and Arbitrum; USA₮ on Ethereum; and Bitcoin via both main-chain and Lightning Network options. Tether says additional blockchains will be added shortly, and that the app will handle network selection and balance displays to keep the experience streamlined.