Tether names ex-Google executive Benjamin Habbel as new CBO

Tether has appointed Benjamin Habbel as its chief business officer, placing the seasoned leader with roots at Google and Limestone Capital at the helm of its investment strategy to steer future deployments into AI, energy, and digital infrastructure.

Summary

• Tether appointed ex-Google and Limestone Capital executive Benjamin Habbel as chief business officer.
• Habbel will oversee growth, finance, and investments across AI, energy, and digital infrastructure.
• The hire signals Tether’s shift from stablecoin dominance toward a broader role as a diversified global investment player

In an announcement on Sept. 24, the stablecoin giant said Habbel will take the reins of organizational growth, finance, and the expansion of its sprawling investment portfolio.

His mandate is to advance Tether’s stated goal of building “resilient infrastructure” for a decentralized future, moving the company far beyond its foundational role in the digital payments space.

“With Benjamin’s leadership and expertise, I’m confident we’ll continue to strengthen this foundation and accelerate Tether’s evolution into a global technology and financial leader – one capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the legacy giants we aim to disrupt,” Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, said.

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From stablecoin dominance to diversified bets

According to the announcement, will be directly involved with portfolio companies spanning artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and Bitcoin mining. In this sector, Tether is a dominant force, holding 92,646.2 BTC, valued at approximately $10.47 billion, according to Bitbo data.

Habbel’s role extends to neurotech, real estate, and cloud computing, underscoring Tether’s appetite for new opportunities. He brings a hybrid of Silicon Valley scaling expertise and Wall Street financial discipline. His career includes pivotal leadership roles during the expansion of Google’s core products like Android and Google Maps, an effort that earned him the company’s prestigious OC Award for innovation.

Following Google, he founded and led software ventures to successful exits before spending nearly a decade as CEO of Limestone Capital, where he grew the alternative asset manager into a global platform overseeing $1 billion in assets.

Habbel’s appointment signals a critical maturation for Tether, positioning a seasoned operator at the helm of a financial engine of unprecedented scale. This move comes as the firm, buoyed by the dominance of its $172 billion USDT stablecoin and quarterly profits measured in the billions, reportedly explores a landmark $20 billion capital raise targeting a $500 billion valuation.

Building on ongoing momentum

Notably, Habbel joins Tether after the company made another high-profile hire last month. On August 19, the USDT issuer brought on Bo Hines, the former Executive Director of the White House Crypto Council, as a Strategic Advisor for U.S. strategy.

These executive moves mirror the scale of Tether’s recent investments, which have aggressively moved beyond digital assets. The company has made waves with a controlling 70% stake in Adecoagro, a sustainable agriculture giant, and a substantial investment in Elemental Altus, a gold royalty company.

Further diversifying its holdings, Tether has also taken strategic positions in media entities such as Be Water and Rumble, as well as in brain-computer interface firm Blackrock Neurotech.

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