Tether Gold (XAUT) Surges on Institutional Adoption and Cross-Chain Expansion
Tether Gold (XAUT) reached an all-time high of $4,744.19 on January 20, 2026, marking a significant milestone for the tokenized gold asset. The token is currently trading at approximately $4,835, reflecting strong momentum in the digital gold market.
Market Performance and Whale Accumulation
Trading volume for XAUT reached $97.6 million in the last 24 hours, representing a 266.30% increase from the previous day, signaling a dramatic surge in market activity. XAUT demand is rising as whales accumulate tokenized gold amid geopolitical risk and higher gold prices.
Whale wallets purchased $8.5 million worth of XAUT and are holding a floating profit of $410,000 on XAUT and PAXG purchases, demonstrating institutional confidence in the asset as a hedge against volatility.
Strategic Infrastructure Expansion
Bybit announced support for XAUT deposits and withdrawals on Mantle on January 19, 2026, expanding user access to tokenized gold while strengthening cross-chain asset functionality. The launch highlights the accelerating convergence of traditional assets and decentralized finance, representing a meaningful step toward more accessible, efficient, and liquid on-chain markets for real-world value.
Upbit recently announced the listing of XAUT to trade against KRW, BTC, and USDT, further expanding accessibility for retail and institutional investors.
Scudo Unit Launch Simplifies Transactions
Tether announced on January 6 the launch of Scudo, a fractional denomination designed specifically for Tether Gold. Scudo is defined as one-thousandth of a troy ounce of gold, or one-thousandth of a single XAUT token. The change aims to simplify pricing and everyday transactions using gold-backed tokens.
Tether's Aggressive Gold Acquisition Strategy
Tether aims to acquire an additional 100+ tonnes of gold in 2026, building on its current 116-tonne reserve valued at approximately $8 billion, including investments in mining, refining, and royalty firms. Tether is partnering with Antalpha to launch collateralized lending against XAUT and physical vaults in financial hubs like Singapore and Zurich, enabling direct redemption of tokens for gold bars.
Market Position and Dominance
Tether Gold, alongside Pax Gold, controls nearly 80% of the digital commodities market share, establishing its significant presence in tokenized gold. Whale accumulation, macro-driven hedging, real-world asset backing, and expanding exchange support suggest that XAUT is transcending from a niche tokenized commodity into a core defensive instrument within the crypto market.
Sources:
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bybit-enables-xaut-tether-gold-on-mantle-expanding-access-to-tokenized-gold-in-the-onchain-finance-ecosystem-302664412.html
- https://crypto.news/tether-launches-scudo-fractional-unit-tether-gold-2026/
- https://beincrypto.com/tether-gold-xaut-demand-elevated-us-crypto-news/
- https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/tether-gold/
- https://coinmarketcap.com/cmc-ai/tether-gold/latest-updates/
- https://coingecko.com/en/coins/tether-gold