For the first time, Tether holders are actually redeeming Tether for actual $$$. Tether has fallen 9% in market cap over the last 4 days. $6.5 billion dollars have been pulled out in a controlled way, in fractions every 12-24 hours. The question is when Tether runs out of actual $$$. If it is after like ~$20 billion withdrawn, we are looking at losses of ~$50 billion. And it could take Bitcoin with it.

[edit] $8 billion down now.

  • Saint [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    If it is after like ~$20 billion withdrawn, we are looking at losses of ~$50 billion.

    Could you explain this please? I don't understand the link between market cap going down and losses.

    • Lovely_sombrero [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Imagine Tether as a more shitty bank with zero government guarantees. People gave them around $77 billion in cash, in return they got 77 billion Tethers. It is a bit more complicated than that (Tether is probably also printing Tethers out of thin air), but that is the general idea. People at Tether probably stole a lot of the cash and also "invested" it in risky stuff. People are now redeeming Tethers for cash. If Tether runs out of money after $20 billion redeemed, the rest of Tether holders are left with $0.

      • Saint [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Ah so you're talking about the scenario of them running out of reserves. Okay, got it. Where are you getting the $20b number from though?

        • Lovely_sombrero [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          I just gave it as an example. According to Tether, they hold 3% of total Tether value in direct cash, so around $2.5 billion, so they will probably run out of reserves even sooner. My guess is that Tether is right now burning some of its own Tether reserves in order to maintain the peg to $. It is all so very fake.