Tether’s $1.1 Billion Power Play: Stablecoin Giant Bids to Acquire Juventus Football Club

Digital cash meets the beautiful game. Tether, the company behind the world's largest stablecoin, has reportedly tabled a staggering $1.1 billion offer to take control of Italian football titan Juventus. This isn't just a sponsorship deal—it's a potential full-scale takeover, signaling crypto's most aggressive push yet into mainstream sports ownership.

The Mechanics of the Move

Forget fan tokens. This is about direct, old-school asset acquisition. The bid, if successful, would see a cryptocurrency-adjacent entity purchase one of Europe's most storied football clubs outright. It's a high-stakes gamble that positions digital asset liquidity against the legacy prestige of Serie A. The move bypasses traditional banking channels, using the very reserves that back the USDT stablecoin to fund a play for real-world prestige.

A New Playbook for Crypto

The industry's playbook is evolving from speculative trading to tangible empire-building. Acquiring a global brand like Juventus offers more than just a trophy asset; it's a massive, captive audience for brand integration and a powerful statement of financial permanence. It turns every jersey, every broadcast, and every stadium seat into a potential touchpoint for the Tether ecosystem—a masterclass in marketing that even the slickest ad campaign can't buy.

The Bottom Line

This bid is a watershed moment. It demonstrates that the largest players in crypto have amassed war chests capable of challenging traditional sports oligarchs and sovereign wealth funds. For Tether, it's a chance to anchor its reputation in something more solid than quarterly attestation reports. For the crypto world, it's proof that the game has changed: the money isn't just on the blockchain anymore—it's buying the whole field. After all, what better way to prove you're financially sound than by spending over a billion dollars on a football club? Now that's a reserve audit everyone can understand.

TLDR

• Tether submitted a binding $1.1 billion all-cash proposal to buy Exor’s 65.4% controlling stake in Juventus FC and all remaining shares
• Exor, the Agnelli family holding company that has owned the stake for over 100 years, reportedly rejected the offer saying “Juventus is not for sale”
• Tether currently holds over 10% stake in Juventus after first buying shares in February and increasing ownership in April
• Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, a lifelong Juventus fan, said the company would invest €1 billion in the club’s development if the deal completes
• Tether reported net profits exceeding $10 billion in 2025 and is expanding beyond stablecoins into AI, robotics, and sports investments

Tether, the company behind the USDT stablecoin, made a $1.1 billion bid to fully acquire Italian football club Juventus FC on Friday. The offer was quickly rejected by the current majority owner.

Tether Submits Proposal to Acquire Juventus Football Club

Read more: https://t.co/CDv8OosqFU

— Tether (@Tether_to) December 12, 2025

The crypto firm submitted a binding all-cash proposal to Exor, the holding company owned by the Agnelli family. Tether wants to buy Exor’s 65.4% controlling stake in Juventus. The Agnelli family has held this stake for over 100 years.

If Exor had agreed, Tether planned to make a public offer for all remaining shares at the same price. Juventus is a publicly traded company with a market value of $1.1 billion. The stock closed Friday up 2.3% at €2.23 per share.

A source close to Exor told AFP that “Juventus is not for sale.” Neither Exor nor Tether provided additional comments on the rejected bid.

Tether said it WOULD invest €1 billion in supporting and developing Juventus if the transaction completed. CEO Paolo Ardoino stated the company is in strong financial health and wants to provide stable capital with a long-term view.

Tether CEO’s Personal Connection

Ardoino described a personal connection to the team. “For me, Juventus has always been part of my life,” he said. He grew up watching the team and learned about commitment and resilience through following Juventus.

| @paoloardoino CEO of @Tether_to

“For me, Juventus has always been part of my life, I grew up with this team. As a boy, I learned what commitment, resilience, and responsibility meant by watching Juventus face success and adversity with dignity. Those lessons stayed with me… pic.twitter.com/STqyYoaPyH

— JuveFC (@juvefcdotcom) December 12, 2025

Tether currently holds more than 10% of Juventus shares. The company first purchased a stake in the club in February 2025. It increased this position to over 10% in April.

Push for Board Influence

The stablecoin issuer has worked to increase its influence at the club. In October, Tether nominated two people to Juventus’s board of directors. These nominees were deputy investment chief Zachary Lyons and Francesco Garino.

Juventus shareholders approved Garino’s appointment to the board last month. This gave Tether representation in club leadership before making the full acquisition bid.

Tether has been expanding its business beyond cryptocurrency. The company now invests in artificial intelligence, robotics, and health platforms. Sports investments are part of this diversification strategy.

The company reported net profits exceeding $10 billion in the first nine months of 2025. Most of this profit comes from yield on U.S. Treasury bills that back USDT. Tether also holds 116 tons of gold.

USDT is the world’s largest stablecoin with a market value of $188 billion. The token has become popular for payments and savings in emerging markets. It dominates the fast-growing stablecoin sector.

Juventus’s fan token JUV surged 30% following news of Tether’s bid. The token allows fans to participate in certain club decisions and access exclusive content.