Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has disclosed that the company is being prevented from participating in Juventus Football Club’s latest capital increase.
In a June 2 post on X, Ardoino addressed mounting inquiries from Juventus supporters who had hoped Tether would provide new capital to help the club sign players and regain its competitive edge.
According to Ardoino, Juventus has not permitted Tether to participate in the capital increase process, which began in April 2025. Without this formal approval, Tether cannot inject new funds, regardless of its willingness or financial capacity.
He stated:
“Tether looks forward to being a part of the team’s growth and future. But to date the company has not even allowed Tether to participate in the capital increase announced a month ago (around 15-110M). We simply cannot contribute unless society allows us to.”
He somewhat dryly added that his ticket purchases might be the only support Juventus is willing to accept for now. Ardoino said:
“It is truly a shame to leave aside willing members who could invest significantly to help make Juventus Great again. I hope that at least the money from my grandstand ticket can help support the management’s expenses”
Tether began investing in Juventus in February 2025, securing an initial 8.2% stake. By April, it had increased its holdings to 10.12% of issued shares, equating to 6.18% of the club’s voting rights.
Despite this increased involvement, the stablecoin issuer is excluded from a capital raise expected to generate between €15 million and €110 million.
The club’s funding push follows a fourth-place finish in the 2024/25 Serie A season. To reposition itself, Juventus recently named Damien Gomolli as General Manager to lead its commercial and marketing efforts.
USDT stride continues
Tether’s push into football aligns with the broader momentum of its flagship stablecoin, USDT.
According to Ardoino, USDT gained over $5 billion in market capitalization in the last 30 days, outpacing its main rival, Circle’s USDC. The surge has pushed USDT’s total market cap above $153 billion, while USDC trails at $60.9 billion.
The growth reflects broader tailwinds, including Bitcoin’s climb to an all-time high in May and emerging regulatory clarity from the US and Hong Kong.
