Economy
Tether Gold to Hedge Against Inflation, Currency Depreciation
By Adedapo Adesanya
The rampant currency depreciation witnessed across many emerging markets has intensified the case for decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and USDC as stores of value or hedging assets.
However, gold, as the most valuable asset in the world, remains highly sought after as a hedge against inflation and a store of value through market ups and downs, and this has spurred the introduction of Tether Gold.
Tether Gold (XAUT) is a digital asset that is pegged to the value of gold. Each unit of Tether Gold is linked to the price of one troy ounce of physical gold, which is stored in a vault.
Launched in 2020 by TG Commodities Limited, Tether Gold (XAU₮) is a stablecoin that provides ownership on a 1:1 basis of one fine troy ounce of gold on a physical bar of gold that meets the Good Delivery standard of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA).
According to Tether Gold, this technology allows access to a stablecoin that provides ownership of physical gold while avoiding the drawbacks associated with physical gold, such as high storage costs and limited accessibility.
“Holders of XAUT obtain the combined benefits of both physical and digital assets. XAUT token holders will be able to enjoy ownership of gold while avoiding drawbacks associated with physical gold, such as high storage costs and limited accessibility.
“Unlike fiat paper currency, coins, or other assets, gold has maintained its value throughout the ages. People see gold as a way to pass on and preserve their wealth from one generation to the next.”
In an interview, Tether’s Chief Technology Officer, Mr Paolo Ardoino, added that gold is an excellent hedge against inflation because its price tends to rise when the cost-of-living increases. In this unprecedented time in which central banks print more money than ever, gold is a great choice to store your wealth because of its scarcity.
According to Tether, putting gold on a blockchain unlocks a variety of characteristics that typically only crypto assets possess:
Tether Gold tokens provide undivided ownership rights to gold on the specified gold bar(s). the allocated gold is identifiable with a unique serial number, purity, and weight, so the XAU₮ holders can easily check the details of the gold bars associated with their address.
Owning physical assets on the blockchain provides you with the combined benefits of both physical and digital assets. As a XAUt token holder, users will be able to enjoy ownership of gold while avoiding drawbacks associated with physical gold, such as high storage costs and limited accessibility.
Another advantage is the constant availability of a digital token. Tether Gold tokens are available on markets operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It means that when the traditional markets for gold are closed, it’s still possible to buy or sell Tether Gold tokens.
With Tether Gold tokens, users have the possibility to redeem them for physical gold or USD fiat currency.
One of the main advantages of Tether Gold is that it provides investors with exposure to gold without the need for physical ownership. This means that investors do not have to worry about the storage and insurance of the metal, which can be costly and cumbersome.
Second, the cryptocurrency is an ERC-20 token, meaning it can be moved easily on the Ethereum blockchain and transferred to different addresses. Tether Gold holders have ownership rights to specific physical bars and can identify the details with a unique serial number. They can even redeem their tokens for the real thing by going through a verification process.
“The holder’s physical gold can be delivered to a location of their choice in Switzerland, or the holder can request that TG Commodities Limited attempt to sell the gold and receive the cash proceeds from that sale.”
Compared to other crypto assets, Tether Gold is also a stable investment tool, which means that it is less volatile than other digital assets that are not backed by any underlying assets.
As such, Tether Gold provides investors with a way to diversify their portfolio by adding an asset that has traditionally been considered a safe haven. Gold has historically been viewed as a reliable store of value, and Tether Gold allows investors to combine the security of gold with the convenience and accessibility of a digital asset.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The operating licence of a capital market operator, Kensington Agro Trading Limited, has been revoked by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The capital market regulator, in a circular dated February 09, 2026, disclosed that the action “pursuant to the powers of the commission under Section 61(6) of the Investments and Securities Act, 2025, and Rule 34(1) of the SEC Rules and Regulations 2013, as amended.”
The disclosure noted that the revocation of the licence of the company was “with immediate effect.”
The reason for withdrawing the operating licence of Kensington Agro Trading Limited was not stated in the notice.
“The Securities and Exchange Commission hereby notifies the general public of the revocation of the registration of Kensington Agro Trading Limited as a capital market operator (Commodity Broker/Dealer and Collateral Manager) with immediate effect.
“The revocation of the company’s registration is invoked pursuant to the powers of the Commission under Section 61(6) of the Investments and Securities Act, 2025, and Rule 34(1) of the SEC Rules and Regulations 2013, as amended.
“Accordingly, Commodity Exchanges, the investing public, commodity traders, and all Capital Market Stakeholders are advised to discontinue capital market-related dealings with the company,” the circular signed by the management noted.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The latest off-cycle data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed that Nigeria’s revenue from the oil and gas industry dipped by 25.04 per cent to N877.176 billion in December 2025, compared with N1.17 trillion received from energy firms in November 2025
In its presentation to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) on receipts and expenditures for December 2025, the CBN disclosed that the amount earned from the oil and gas industry in the month under review represented 95.65 per cent of the sector’s budgeted revenue of N917.064 billion for the month.
In comparison, revenue from the petroleum industry in November 2025 accounted for 96.38 per cent of the N1.474 trillion budgeted for the sector in November 2025.
Providing a breakdown of revenue from the industry in December 2025, the CBN stated that the country earned N772.727 million from crude oil sales, dropping by 97.92 per cent from N37.134 billion recorded in November 2025; while the it recorded revenue of N9.019 billion from gas sales, rising by 24.14 per cent from N7.265 billion recorded in November.
Furthermore, the financial sector apex regulator noted that revenue from crude oil royalties dipped by 12.52 per cent to N514.288 billion in the month under review, from N587.865 billion recorded in the previous month; while receipts from miscellaneous oil revenue grew by 97.5 per cent to N2.678 billion in December 2025, from N1.356 billion in the previous month.
It also stated that royalties from gas appreciated by 124.91 per cent to N21.153 billion in December, from N9.405 billion in November 2025; revenue from gas flared penalties stood at N48.858 billion, down by 5.76 per cent from N51.842 billion in November, while revenue from Companies’ Income Tax (CIT) from upstream oil industry operations stood at N73.066 billion, as against N106.106 billion in the previous month.
The CBN further revealed that revenue from Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) stood at N79.247 billion; rentals – N1.5 billion; while taxes stood at N126.594 billion, compared with N301.471 billion. N775.162 million, and N67.242 billion, respectively, in November 2025.
In addition, the CBN reported that from the country’s oil and gas revenue in December 2025, N18.163 billion was deducted for 13 per cent refund on subsidy, priority projects and Police Trust Fund from 1999 to 2021; while N8.761 billion was deducted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in respect of its 13 per cent management fee and frontier exploration fund.
It added that N23.724 billion was deducted and collected by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in December 2025, being four per cent of the cost of collection; while N46.903 billion was transferred to the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund from gas flared penalties in the same month.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
On Saturday, February 28, 2026, the Implementation Committee for Executive Order 9 held its inaugural meeting, headed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun.
The panel, at the gathering, reaffirmed the directive of President Bola Tinubu that revenues accruing to the federation from petroleum operations must be handled in a manner that upholds constitutional principles, protects revenues accruable to the nation, and supports the fiscal stability of all three tiers of government.
It approved the establishment of a technical subcommittee to develop the detailed guidelines for the transition to direct remittance within three weeks, and commence a review of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to address structural and fiscal anomalies that weaken Federation revenues.
It was agreed that the subcommittee would be led by the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, and will include the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Justice, the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, and the Chairman of the Forum of Commissioners of Finance, representatives of the Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Oil, with secretarial support from the Budget Office of the Federation.
The committee promised to provide coordinated guidance and timely updates as implementation progresses. It commended the cooperation of all stakeholders in advancing the President’s efforts to ensure that Nigeria’s petroleum resources deliver tangible, measurable benefits to citizens across the Federation.
Under the new order, Mr Tinubu directed that NNPC Limited shall cease, with immediate effect, the collection of the 30 per cent management fee and the 30 per cent frontier exploration fund deductions from profit oil and profit gas under Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs).
Additionally, all remittances of gas flare penalties into the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF) are suspended with immediate effect, in line with the Executive Order.
With respect to Section 2, Sub-section 3 of the Executive Order on direct payments by contractors into the Federation Account, the panel agreed that this transition must be implemented in a manner that respects existing contractual and financing arrangements, and maintains investor confidence.
For this reason, the committee approved a defined transition period for the operationalisation of direct payments by contractors of profit oil, royalty oil, and tax oil into the Federation Account.
Until the Committee issues detailed guidelines, contractors will continue to remit under the current process. During the transition period, the Committee will issue clear, standardised guidance to ensure an orderly changeover.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism10 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn