Interview with Tether CEO: Sleeps 5 Hours Every Night, Aims for 100x Growth

Original Article Title: USDT Founder: Bitcoin, Gold, Stablecoin, & Tether, the Most Profitable Company in the World | EP 143

Original Source: When Shift Happens

Original Translation: Deep Tide TechFlow

Guest: Paolo Ardoino, Tether CEO & Bitfinex CTO

Host: Kevin Follonier

Air Date: October 16, 2025

Key Points Summary

Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether and CTO of Bitfinex, shared how he built one of the world's most profitable companies—each employee generating approximately $100 million in profit on average.

Tether introduced USDT, the most widely used stablecoin globally, providing financial support to around 3 billion people worldwide who are unbanked, especially in countries facing extreme inflation and financial crises.

Amidst the increasingly unstable global economy, Paolo founded a company dedicated to bringing stability through "financial democratization" and achieved remarkable success. Last year, Tether's revenue reached $13.7 billion.

Key Insights Summary

· I typically get at least 5 hours of sleep each night. But the issue is my sleep is fragmented because I always keep notifications on, waking up every hour to check notifications and then go back to sleep.

· My hometown is a small village with only 600 people, so entertainment options are limited. I started learning programming at the age of 8, and this passion continued through my university years up to now.

· I hardly have any personal hobbies. In fact, my only hobby is thinking every day about the mission to bring stability to the world.

· The existence of USDT is precisely to provide financial stability to those in emerging markets facing extreme economic instability.

· Tether is not just a stablecoin company, but a stability company. This is precisely Tether's mission and the true meaning of being a "stability company" — a company whose ultimate goal is social stability.

· What we need to do is make financial and technological access more democratic, allowing more people to participate directly through peer-to-peer technology and decentralized finance.

· Tether is a "once-in-a-century company." Unlike other companies trying to create closed ecosystems, Tether's platform is global, which is a completely different business model and the key to our success.

· Everyone should have their own mission, no matter how big or small, as long as it brings them happiness.

· People often use art to express emotions and thoughts, but I have realized that my way of expression is through programming. I can create my own world and invite people into it through programming.

· A stablecoin is actually the ultimate social network.

· Through this funding round (20 billion), we hope to show the world that Tether's mission goes far beyond this. Our goal is to achieve 100x growth. Tether has the capital, philosophy, and technological innovation to do anything.

· If you create a product that can solve real-world problems, it has the potential to truly change the world.

· Football is a global sport that can reach people of all backgrounds, rich or poor. Therefore, investing in a football club is a simple way to reach a global audience. We hold a 10% stake in the Serie A club Juventus.

The Drive for Continuous Improvement

Kevin Follonier: Many of my guests have something in common — they have experienced something in their lives that created a sense of imbalance within them. So, is Tether's mission today related to something you may have lacked when you were younger?

Paolo Ardoino: I consider myself very fortunate. While my family was not wealthy, I learned the most important lesson from them — hard work. I remember my grandparents, who have passed away, used to run a small farm in Italy. They focused on producing high-quality olive oil and tomatoes, paying extreme attention to detail. Whether it was tomatoes, sage, rosemary, or asparagus, they pursued excellence, and this passion permeated their entire lives.

My grandfather used to wake up at five in the morning every day, take a nap at one in the afternoon, and then continue working in the evening. This simple yet fulfilling life kept him happy. Despite having only completed elementary school, he excelled in mathematics. My parents were also hardworking role models. My mother was a kindergarten teacher, and my father was an ordinary employee who worked at Italy's national energy company before retiring in Israel. They are still alive today, and I consider myself lucky for that. After work, they would take us to play sports and then help out on the farm. It can be said that from morning to night, our lives revolved around waking up, working hard, and completing tasks. But all of this was filled with passion. I never heard them complain because, for them, this was their mission.

Everyone should have their own mission, no matter how big or small, as long as it brings happiness. So when someone tells me, "Oh, you work so hard," I say no, the meaning I see in hard work goes far beyond that, I am definitely not just working hard.

My sleep schedule is also quite unique, I usually get at least 5 hours of sleep each night. However, the issue is that my sleep is fragmented because I always keep notifications on. Every hour, I wake up to check notifications and then go back to sleep.

Kevin Follonier: So you have been doing this continuously for 11 years, sleeping 5 hours each night, waking up every hour? Do you catch up on sleep during the day?

Paolo Ardoino: No. If I nap during the day, I feel groggy. So I never take a nap.

Started Programming at 8 Years Old

Kevin Follonier: You started programming at the age of 8? How did that happen?

Paolo Ardoino: My father worked at Italy's national energy company. In the early '90s, Italian public enterprises began introducing computers to improve efficiency and modernize. Italy's bureaucratic system is known to be very complex, and many tasks were time-consuming, so the introduction of computers was significant for improving work efficiency. My father was enthusiastic about these new technologies. I remember when I was 7, he brought home a computer and told me it was very expensive, costing the equivalent of two months of his salary. Although I didn't fully grasp the concept of two months' salary at the time, he warned me that the computer was very expensive, instructed me to handle it with care, and never to damage it.

As an only child at home, I was naturally curious about this computer. We had a floppy disk to play games, but due to financial reasons, we couldn't afford many games. Moreover, in 1991 Italy, game resources were hard to come by. My hometown was a small village with only 600 people, so entertainment options were limited. Over time, I grew tired of the existing games and developed the idea of creating my own. I asked my father to buy me a book on how to program and create games. He replied, "Well, Paolo, I can buy it, but this book costs 60,000 Lire."

During that era, Italy still used the Lira as currency. He asked me, "Are you sure you want to buy this book? Because it's very expensive." I said, "I want to learn." So, he brought the book home, and I started learning to program. This passion continued into my university years and up to the present day.

The Infinite Possibilities of Programming

Kevin Follonier: You've mentioned that programming is a unique form of expression, distinct from other art forms. It can unleash human imagination, allowing us to create a whole new world full of endless possibilities. Could you elaborate on your views?

Paolo Ardoino: Of course. To be honest, I didn't excel in traditional art forms. Although I used to be a decent guitarist, I haven't played for many years. In other art fields, I can confidently say I have zero talent. For example, in art class at school, whether it was technical design or other hands-on projects, my work always appeared chaotic. I remember when I painted, my arm swung excessively, the pencil wandered aimlessly on the canvas, and the final result was always unsatisfactory. I couldn't do shading, let alone sing; I couldn't even master the most basic form of artistic expression.

But people usually use art to express emotions and thoughts. I realized that my way of expression is through programming. I can create my world and invite people into it through programming.

What Is a Stablecoin & Why Are Stablecoins Essential

Kevin Follonier: You use programming to create stablecoins. What is a stablecoin? How would you explain it to a mother?

Paolo Ardoino: Simply put, a stablecoin is a digital currency, much like the balance you see in your bank account. However, unlike traditional money, stablecoins use blockchain technology for transfers instead of relying on the banking system. You can think of it as a "digital dollar" that can freely circulate globally like cash.

Blockchain is a decentralized technology, similar to a borderless large-scale database, with its servers distributed worldwide rather than centralized in a single bank or institution. We use the best database form—a decentralized database—to move the US dollar.

Kevin Follonier: Why are Stablecoins so important in our world?

Paolo Ardoino: The significance of stablecoins lies in their ability to provide a solution for billions of people globally who lack financial services. These individuals often live in countries with high inflation rates; for example, Europe experiences inflation rates between 30% and 34%, Turkey reaches 50%, Nigeria even higher, and Argentina sometimes surpasses 200%. In these countries, high inflation causes rapid depreciation of the local currency, severely affecting people's purchasing power. In the year 2025, everyone is interested in stablecoins.

In developed countries like the United States and Europe, the efficiency of the financial system is already high. You might have a bank account, credit cards, and payment tools like Cash App or PayPal, with daily transfers being almost seamless. However, in some developing countries, the efficiency of the financial system may be as low as 5%, and many people cannot even open a bank account. Through blockchain technology, stablecoins can improve the financial efficiency in these regions to 60% or 70%. For individuals living in remote African villages, this change is significant as it not only enables them to participate in the global economy but also brings more opportunities.

The internet began to facilitate this connection. In fact, the internet is a way to invite people into a global context, but without financial services, the internet is also meaningless. I believe stablecoins, in this sense, are actually the ultimate social network, because the currency of social networks, in my view, is the ultimate social network as it involves interpersonal interaction, peer-to-peer interaction, and inherently contains value and information you want to transfer.

The Mission of Tether & Becoming a Stable Company

Kevin Follonier: So what is your mission?

Paolo Ardoino: My mission is to bring stability to the world. In a world gradually moving towards uncertainty and chaos, I believe stability is particularly important. This may sound a bit odd, but Tether's success is actually intricately linked to the exacerbation of many global issues. If the financial system is fair, resources are accessible, and functioning properly, USDT would not have a reason to exist. USDT's existence is precisely to provide financial stability to those in emerging markets facing extreme economic instability.

As a developer, I believe we are transforming Tether into a leader in the tech space, not limited to the financial sector but also encompassing industries such as telecommunications, social media, and energy. Our goal is to use decentralized technology to make these industries more open and accessible, just as we have done in the US dollar and financial sector, and that is Tether's core mission. It is worth mentioning that most of the profits we earn are not distributed to shareholders; around 95% of the profits remain within the company, invested in new things, new ideas, to support our mission.

I have almost no hobbies personally. In fact, my only hobby is thinking every day about how to accomplish this mission. I am very passionate about this issue, and I am the type of person who gets deeply into a field, which basically takes up my whole life.

Kevin Follonier: You mentioned in the Docker Times that amidst increasing global instability, Tether will continue to invest a portion of its profits in secure assets such as Bitcoin, gold, and land. So, what is a stable company?

Paolo Ardoino: I often ponder, what is a true "stable company"? One time, a reporter asked me how to define Tether in a few words, attempting to say that Tether is a stablecoin company. My response was, Tether is not just a stablecoin company; it is a stable company.

In my view, the accessibility of technology and finance is key to social stability. If people can easily access technology and financial services, they are less likely to have motives for causing chaos and instability. Many times, the root of social unrest lies in people's dissatisfaction, and this dissatisfaction often stems from extremely difficult living conditions.

Of course, social instability has other causes, but overall, I believe that global stability is closely linked to the massive disparities between nations and regions. In the past 20 to 30 years, although technology has attempted to narrow these gaps, it has actually exacerbated inequality. The same situation also occurs in the financial sector—about half of the global population cannot reliably access financial services, not even the opportunity to open a bank account. This is not because they are untrustworthy, but because their level of poverty makes banks uninterested. This phenomenon is particularly evident in some African or Central American countries, leading to severe instability in these regions because the distribution of technological and financial resources heavily favors a small wealthy group.

What we need to do is make financial and technological access more democratic, enabling more people to directly participate through peer-to-peer technology and decentralized finance. I believe that as people's lives, families, communities, and nations become more stable, they will have less incentive to cause disruption. This is the mission of Tether and the true meaning of the "Stable Company" – a company whose ultimate goal is social stability. We have proven that such a company can be established. Moreover, it is gratifying that the more we strive in this direction, the stronger the company's profitability will be.

This is also why I define Tether as a "once-in-a-century company." This is not a boast, but because the uniqueness of Tether lies in the fact that the more it promotes open source, openness, and decentralization, the more it can attract a broader user base. These users utilize the tools provided by Tether to achieve financial freedom and freedom of speech, and the more widespread this process becomes, the more value the company's data can create. Unlike other companies that try to build closed ecosystems, Tether's platform is global in nature, representing a completely different business model and the key to our success.

Tether: The Company with the Highest Profit per Employee Worldwide

Kevin Follonier: You have mentioned that Tether is one of the world's top-performing companies with a profit margin of up to 99%. How have you built a company that generates an average profit of about $100 million per employee per year? Have you deeply considered this question?

Paolo Ardoino: Honestly, I haven't specifically thought about this data. We have always focused on optimizing efficiency. Every time we do something, I ask myself: Why do it this way? Is there a better way? How can we further improve efficiency? Two years ago, Tether's team was only 40 people in size, but as our business expanded, our current staff has grown to 250 to 300 people, including a large number of developers as we expand into new fields such as artificial intelligence. However, the team responsible for core stablecoin management remains at around 100 people.

Of course, the current high-interest-rate environment has greatly helped our profitability. Until 2022, global interest rates had been consistently low, making this change unpredictable. Additionally, the unexpected impact of the pandemic has also contributed to our profit growth. However, we believe that by continually expanding into new business areas, we can maintain a high level of profitability in the long term. Efficiency optimization and seizing opportunities are the keys to our success.

Why Raise $200 Billion?

Kevin Follonier: You recently announced that you are considering raising $200 billion and valuing the company at $5 trillion. If this funding were to come through tomorrow, how do you plan to use it?

Paolo Ardoino: Last year, we achieved a profit of $13.7 billion, and this year's performance is expected to be similar. However, I want to emphasize that the purpose of our fundraising is not just to make money, but to convey an important message. Just like the Joker said in "The Dark Knight": "It's not about the money, it's about sending a message." We hope to show the world through this fundraising that Tether's mission is far more than that, and our goal is to achieve 100x growth.

Once at a public event, I mentioned that I am a loyal fan of Peter Thiel and am currently reading his work "Zero to One." However, it is no longer the era where startups can earn huge profits through simple data growth. I would rather say that our goal is to start from the current foundation and move towards the "Zero to One Hundred" phase. I metaphorically referred to it as "0.25" because we are just getting started.

The reason I say this is not about how much money we have earned but about the potential we believe needs to be seized to express our view of this opportunity.

I define Tether as a once-in-a-century opportunity, because I believe every company needs three things: philosophy, direction, and capital. First, you need to have a philosophy or belief, clarifying what kind of company you want to become; second, you need to have the ability to innovate, whether in technology or other fields; third, you need to have capital. Most companies only have one or two of these three. You can be a large-scale innovator with the right philosophy, but if you lack funds, you need to raise money and seek venture capital firms. However, the incentive structure of venture capital firms is to earn more than what they invest in you, which may deviate from your initial project, philosophy, and ideas.

In this case, I believe that Tether has the capital, philosophy, and technological innovation to do whatever it wants. Therefore, the message we are conveying is that we still have a lot to show, we want significant growth, our vision is amazing. We hope to have partners join our company to help us achieve this unique and powerful vision, and we don't want to mess it all up.

Why Did Tether Invest in @Plasma?

Kevin Follonier: Tether recently invested in a company called Plasma, whose founder Paul has previously been a guest on our podcast and helped us build this platform. So, why is Plasma so important that Tether decided to invest in them?

Paolo Ardoino: I believe Tether's USDT is not just a digital currency; it is also a critical part of blockchain technology. A stablecoin is essentially a blockchain-based digital dollar. However, over the past few years, the development direction of blockchain technology has veered off course. Many developers have been more focused on quickly launching hype-driven blockchain projects, such as meme coins like Dogecoin. While this approach may be effective in the short term, it does not truly advance the industry in the long run. Nonetheless, such projects have indeed made some teams money.

The success of USDT has proven a fact: if you create a product that can solve real-world problems, it has the potential to truly change the world.

Therefore, I believe that a stablecoin-based or purpose-driven blockchain can make stablecoin transfers very cheap and easy to use. For example, currently, if you have a stablecoin on Ethereum, you still need to purchase ETH as gas to transfer USDT, and this user experience needs improvement. I think that even though the blockchain industry has developed for many years, the quality of user experience is still low because we have focused on the wrong things, only paying attention to our own "ecosystem," whose members are basically geeks and those who have time to learn new things. However, this approach is not suitable for most ordinary people. This is also why USDT is so popular globally because USDT is not catering to those looking to speculate.

An interesting statistic shows that 67% of USDT transactions are solely for fund transfers, whereas in transactions of other stablecoins, only 10% to 20% involve transferring other assets. This indicates that the majority of USDT users are only seeking the stable value of 1 USD. In contrast, 80% of users of other stablecoins are simultaneously transferring other assets, suggesting they are more inclined to engage in asset trading in DeFi. Therefore, I would rather see USDT serve tens of millions of ordinary users living in Africa than just cater to the needs of 10,000 New York bankers.

Why Does Tether Own 10% of Juventus Football Club?

Kevin Follonier: Tether recently invested in Juventus Football Club and holds approximately 10% of the shares. This naturally raises the question: Why would a company focused on stablecoins choose to invest in a football club?

Paolo Ardoino: Firstly, both Giancarlo and I are loyal fans of Juventus. Giancarlo hails from the Piedmont region of Italy, where Juventus is the iconic team. I myself grew up near Genoa, around 80 to 100 kilometers away from Turin. Many people from our hometowns vacation in Piedmont, so Juventus has a significant influence. My father is a Juventus fan, and I inherited his passion, as did Giancarlo.

Another reason is that we believe Italy's football industry needs modernization. In Italy, football clubs are often used by businessmen as tools of power, with ownership of both media and the clubs used for political purposes. In contrast, we see investments in the football industry from countries like Saudi Arabia and clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germain, which have hundreds of millions of fans worldwide. Football is a global sport that reaches people from all walks of life, rich and poor alike. Therefore, investing in a football club is a straightforward way to reach a global audience.

We hope that Italian football clubs can establish closer connections with fans, promote positive values, and achieve profitability through a modern management approach. A club's success should be based on team strength, match results, and fan engagement. However, this model has not truly been realized in many Italian clubs. Through the investment in Juventus, we aim to drive a transformation in the Italian football industry, making Juventus more international and forward-thinking.

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