Tether announced a $200 million strategic investment in Whop, a global digital goods marketplace, pushing the platform's valuation to $1.6 billion. The deal ties Tether's wallet infrastructure directly into Whop's creator economy, aiming to speed up dollar settlements and cut out traditional payment middlemen.
Self-Custodial Wallets via Tether's Kit
Whop will integrate Tether's Wallet Development Kit, allowing users to run self-custodial wallets and settle transactions on-chain. Creators can use USDT (USD₮) or USAT (USA₮) directly, bypassing slow and costly cross-border payment rails. The wallet framework also opens the door for decentralized finance features like lending and borrowing within Whop's ecosystem.
Paolo Ardoino, Tether's CEO, said stablecoins perform best when woven into everyday economic activity. He stressed that the wallet infrastructure enables faster payments and reliable financial tools at scale.
Whop's User Base and Expansion Plans
Whop currently serves over 18.4 million users across 144 countries, generating roughly $3 billion in annual participant earnings. Monthly gross transaction volume has been growing 25% month over month. Steven Schwartz, Whop's co-founder and CEO, confirmed the $200 million investment will fuel expansion into Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The company also plans to roll out AI tools designed for agent-based income models.
Founded in 2021 by Steven Schwartz and Cameron Zoub, Whop positions itself as a digital-native alternative to platforms like Shopify and Patreon. Tether's ecosystem now reaches 530 million users worldwide, with over $180 billion in issued digital dollars. By embedding stablecoin payments into Whop's marketplace, Tether aims to push dollar-based digital payments further into everyday online commerce.