Tether has taken a direct step to broaden USDT’s real-world use by leading an $8 million strategic investment in Speed, a payments infrastructure company that combines Bitcoin’s Lightning Network with stablecoin settlement to enable instant, price-stable payments. According to Tether, Speed already handles more than $1.5 billion in annual payment volume and supports roughly 1.2 million users and businesses through its wallet and merchant products. Speed routes transactions over Lightning to take advantage of the network’s speed and low fees, then settles in USDT for users and merchants who prefer a predictable, dollar-pegged outcome instead of volatile Bitcoin exposure. Tether framed the deal as part of a broader push to strengthen Bitcoin-aligned financial infrastructure and expand USDT utility beyond trading venues. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino called Speed evidence that Lightning can support “real commerce” when paired with a stable digital dollar. Speed CEO Niraj Patel added: “Crypto has lived in the world of speculation for too long. Speed is making it usable — instantly, globally, and at scale. Lightning gives us speed; stablecoins give us universal access; our infrastructure brings it all together for consumers, creators, and merchants.” The investment fits into Tether’s wider strategy of deploying its substantial profits across many sectors. In recent months the company has acquired a majority stake in Latin American agricultural firm Adecoagro (AGRO), invested in a privacy-focused health app, and taken a position in video platform Rumble (RUM). Tether reported more than $10 billion in profit in the first nine months of the year, largely driven by interest earned on the U.S. Treasury holdings that back USDT. For the payments ecosystem, the partnership highlights a practical path for crypto rails to power everyday transactions: Lightning delivers the speed and cost benefits of Bitcoin’s layer-2, while USDT provides the stable-payment finality merchants and consumers typically require. If adoption scales, the move could accelerate merchant-facing crypto acceptance and make instant, cross-border payments more accessible to mainstream users. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

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