Key takeaways
- Tether Gold (XAU₮) is now available on Maxbit, the first Thai exchange to offer tokenized physical gold.
- Each (XAU₮) token is backed by one troy ounce of real gold and built on the Ethereum blockchain.
- Venezuela’s Petro coin and real estate tokens show the wider trend of non-USD asset-backed digital currencies.
Tether has officially listed its gold-backed stablecoin, Tether Gold (XAU₮), on Thailand’s Maxbit exchange, giving Thai investors blockchain-based access to real physical gold.
First in Thailand: A new way to hold gold
Tether Gold (XAU₮) is a gold-backed stablecoin built on the Ethereum blockchain, representing a digital version of physical gold.
The listing, announced on May 13, 2025, marks the first time a Thai trading platform offers a product that combines gold ownership with digital flexibility.
According to Tether’s announcement, each (XAU₮) token is backed by one ounce of real gold stored securely in vaults. The current supply is supported by more than 246,000 ounces—over 7.7 metric tons—valued at approximately $770 million.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino called the listing a “significant milestone,” highlighting its potential to help individuals preserve wealth through owning traditional gold while maintaining the flexibility of instant, blockchain-based transactions
Beyond the Dollar: The Rise of Asset-Backed Tokens
Digital tokens backed by real-world assets—not just the U.S. dollar—are becoming more common. From gold and oil to real estate, these blockchain-based instruments offer new ways to represent and transfer value
Gold-Backed Stablecoins: Paxos Gold (PAXG) is a prominent example of asset-backed tokens, where each token represents one troy ounce of gold stored in secure vaults. Similar to (XAUT), Paxos Gold allows investors to gain exposure to gold without holding the physical commodity.
Oil-Backed Cryptocurrencies: Venezuela’s Petro token (PTR) was introduced in 2018 by the Venezuelan government as an oil-backed digital currency, purportedly tied to the country’s crude reserves.
It was created to circumvent U.S. sanctions and provide access to alternative international financing. However, due to limited real-world use and adoption, the currency ceased operations on January 15, 2025.
Real Estate-Backed Tokens: Platforms like Lofty and RealT offer tokens backed by real estate assets, a category now commonly referred to as real-world assets (RWA) in the digital finance space.
These tokens represent fractional ownership in physical properties, allowing investors to gain exposure to real estate markets with lower capital thresholds.
Read more: Global Dollar Network Reaches 25+ Members to Scale-up USDG Adoption
