Tether Looks to Take Full Control of Juventus After $1B Investment Pledge
What Is Tether Proposing—and Why Juventus?
Tether has submitted a binding all-cash proposal to acquire Exor’s 65.4% stake in Juventus FC, one of Europe’s most widely supported football clubs. The company said that if the initial deal is approved, it will launch a public tender offer for the remaining shares at the same price. Juventus, listed on the Borsa Italiana, closed Friday with a market capitalization of $925 million.
The bid would turn Tether’s existing stake—currently above 10%—into full ownership of the Turin-based club. The company described the move as the culmination of interest expressed earlier this year when it disclosed plans to become more active in Juventus affairs.
“Our interest in Juventus comes from deep admiration and respect,” CEO Paolo Ardoino said. “Tether is in a position of strong financial health and intends to support Juventus with stable capital and a long horizon.” He added a personal connection: “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."
Tether said that, upon completion of the deal, it is prepared to invest €1 billion into the club’s development. The announcement sent the club’s fan token, JUV, up roughly 30% shortly after the news became public.
Investor Takeaway
The proposal marks one of the boldest moves by a crypto-native company into mainstream sports ownership. With strong cash flow from USDT reserves, Tether is deploying capital well outside its core business—but without altering its core role in stablecoins.
Why Now? Tether’s Expanding Scope Beyond Stablecoins
The acquisition attempt comes as Tether continues to widen its footprint in non-crypto sectors. The company has invested in artificial intelligence, payments infrastructure, robotics projects and precious metals. It also holds 116 tons of gold—an amount exceeding the reserves of several mid-sized countries.
USDT, Tether’s flagship stablecoin, has grown into the world’s largest by market capitalization, now at around $186–188 billion. Widespread use in emerging markets for payments and savings has strengthened Tether’s revenue base, driven largely by the yield from U.S. Treasury bills backing its reserves. The company reported net profits of more than $10 billion in the first nine months of the year.
With such cash flow, Tether has moved to diversify its portfolio while retaining stablecoins as its core business. Buying Juventus would be the group’s highest-profile investment to date and one of the largest acquisitions ever attempted by a crypto company.
What Would Change for Juventus Under a Tether-Owned Structure?
Juventus is one of Europe’s most commercially recognized clubs, with partnerships spanning Adidas, Jeep and Allianz. The club has long been linked to the Agnelli family through Exor, the publicly listed holding company connected to Fiat’s founding dynasty.
An ownership transfer of this scale would place Juventus under a company that has built its influence through digital finance rather than industrial or traditional entertainment backgrounds. Tether has not laid out detailed plans for operational changes but said it intends to support the club with “stable capital and a long horizon.”
The €1 billion investment pledge—if deployed—would rival the spending power seen in recent years among sovereign-backed club owners and private equity groups. The acquisition would also signal a different entry point into European football: not from energy, real estate or conglomerate wealth, but from the cash flow of a stablecoin issuer.
Investor Takeaway
Owning a major football club gives Tether a powerful global brand outside crypto. The move could broaden its visibility but also exposes the company to a heavily scrutinized sports industry with demanding financial oversight.
What Comes Next for the Bid?
Tether’s offer is contingent on regulatory approvals and the outcome of negotiations with Exor. If the majority stake sale proceeds, the tender offer for remaining shares would shift Juventus from a publicly traded club into a privately controlled entity aligned with a crypto firm’s corporate ecosystem.
The proposal arrives at a moment when football ownership models are in flux, with private funds, sovereign groups and new financial entrants reshaping the landscape. A successful takeover by Tether would be unprecedented: no stablecoin issuer has ever attempted to buy a major sports franchise.
What remains uncertain is how regulators in Italy and Europe will view full ownership of a Serie A club by a company whose core business sits in the crypto financial system. The scale of the investment and Tether’s financial reach will likely draw close attention.
For now, the company’s message is straightforward: with record profits and a global stablecoin franchise, Tether wants a seat at the table in one of the largest sports markets in the world.