Tether is putting real money behind real world Bitcoin payments.
The stablecoin giant has led an $8 million funding round in Speed, a payments company building infrastructure on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network. The round closed Tuesday, with Tether joining Ego Death Capital and taking the lead investor role.
📰 Tether Invests $8 Million in Speed to Advance Lightning Network Payments
— chainhubx (@chainhubx) December 18, 2025
Tether leads strategic funding round for Speed, supporting Lightning Network …#USDT #CRYPTOCURRENCY
🔗 https://t.co/gNd1BLYrwh
This is not a small scale experiment.
Speed currently processes more than $1.5 billion in annual payment volume, spanning consumers, creators, platforms, and enterprise merchants. Through its wallet and merchant tools, the company already serves over 1 million users and businesses, making it one of the more quietly scaled players in crypto payments.
The tech stack is where things get interesting.
Speed routes transactions over the Lightning Network for instant settlement and low fees, while allowing merchants to settle in USDT for price stability. In effect, it blends Bitcoin’s global network effects with the predictability of a dollar backed stablecoin, a combination designed for mainstream commerce, not speculation.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino framed the investment as proof that Lightning can handle real payment flows when paired with liquid digital dollars. In his view, Speed demonstrates how Bitcoin native infrastructure can work at scale when volatility is taken out of the equation.
From Tether’s perspective, the logic is simple. Strengthen Bitcoin aligned rails and expand USDT’s role beyond trading desks and DeFi pools.
Speed CEO Niraj Patel echoed that sentiment. He said the company’s mission is to move crypto from speculation to practical, everyday use. By connecting Lightning’s transaction speed with stablecoin accessibility, Speed aims to serve consumers, creators, and merchants without forcing them to choose between volatility and usability.
This investment also fits a broader pattern.
Tether’s investment arm has been deploying capital across artificial intelligence, robotics, and even gold mining, signaling ambitions far beyond stablecoins alone. The company recently made headlines with an offer to acquire Juventus Football Club, underscoring just how wide its reach has become.
The financial firepower is there.
Tether reported over $10 billion in profit during the first nine months of the year, driven largely by interest earned on U.S. Treasury holdings backing USDT’s roughly $186 billion supply. Few companies in crypto have this level of balance sheet strength.
At its core, the Speed deal reinforces a clear strategy.
Tether wants USDT to live where money actually moves. Not just on exchanges. Not just in DeFi. But in real world payments, running on Bitcoin rails, at global scale.
