Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has expressed concerns over Tether's exclusion from Juventus Football Club's recent capital increase, despite Tether holding a significant 10.12% stake in the club.
The capital increase, valued between €15 million and €110 million, began in April 2025, but Juventus has denied Tether permission to participate, thereby preventing Tether from injecting new funds. Ardoino described the situation as a "shame," emphasizing that willing investors are being sidelined despite their potential to help rejuvenate Juventus.
Tether's involvement in Juventus began in February 2025 with an initial 8.2% stake, later increasing to over 10% of issued shares, equating to 6.18% of voting rights. The dispute highlights ongoing governance challenges and tensions when integrating crypto investments into traditional sports organizations.
Ardoino stressed the importance of collaborative frameworks and mutual redressal mechanisms between crypto firms and sports entities to foster sustained partnerships.
Meanwhile, Tether’s flagship stablecoin USDT has seen recent growth, gaining over $5 billion in market capitalization in the past 30 days and surpassing $153 billion in total market cap, significantly outpacing its main rival, USDC.
Although this equity dispute has minimal immediate effect on major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), it underscores the complexities of crypto’s role in established institutions and the need for improved governance strategies.