- S&P Global Ratings downgraded the ability of stablecoin USDT to maintain its 1:1 peg with the U.S. dollar, labeling its rating as “weak.”
- The downgrade stems from the backing of USDT by risky assets including declining-value Bitcoin and limited transparency about reserve management.
- Tether, issuer of USDT, rejected the rating and highlighted its resilience through past financial instabilities.
- USDT remains among the largest digital assets with high daily trading volumes, primarily used by traders for crypto transactions.
S&P Global Ratings has lowered the rating of the stablecoin USDT, warning it could lose its 1:1 peg with the U.S. dollar. The decision, announced recently, cited concerns about the token’s backing by volatile assets such as Bitcoin, which has recently declined in value. The credit ratings agency gave USDT a “weak” rating, indicating potential undercollateralization if backing assets lose value.
The report noted that a significant portion of USDT’s reserves are held in short-term U.S. Treasury bills and other dollar cash equivalents. However, it criticized Tether for providing limited information on the creditworthiness of custodians, counterparties, and bank account providers. Other weaknesses included insufficient transparency on how reserves are managed, a lack of regulatory oversight, no asset segregation to protect users if the issuer becomes insolvent, and limited options for redeeming USDT directly.
As the largest stablecoin by use and the third-largest crypto asset by market capital, USDT saw $76.9 billion traded across exchanges globally in the past 24 hours, according to CoinGecko. Issued by El salvador-based Tether, USDT functions as a “digital dollar” to allow traders to move funds in and out of cryptocurrency markets without traditional banking.
Regulators have previously investigated and sued Tether for transparency issues regarding its reserves. The company has expressed openness to audits by major accounting firms. In response to the rating, Tether said it “strongly disagrees” and emphasized the token’s longevity and stability through past crises. The CEO, Paolo Ardoino, posted on X that classical rating models do not fit modern crypto frameworks and expressed pride in the company’s resilience.
Stablecoins such as USDT have faced challenges before, including the 2023 drop of USDC to 87 cents amid a bank failure, and the 2022 collapse of the Terra project’s algorithmic stablecoin leading to a $40 billion loss in crypto value and bankruptcies.
For more detail, see the official S&P report here.
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