Tether named Benjamin Habbel its chief business officer on September 24, 2025. Tether's own release put him in charge of "organizational growth, finance, investments, and portfolio expansion"1. Crypto.news reported on September 24, 2025 that the appointment placed Habbel “at the helm of its investment strategy to steer future deployments into AI, energy, and digital infrastructure”2.
The third executive hire at Tether on the record since 2018
Leadership moves CryptoLately has verified at Tether, by year
- 2025: 3
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 | 2 |
59 executive hires on the record in 2025, the most of any year
Executive hires CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2025: 59
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 27 |
| 2022 | 37 |
| 2023 | 20 |
| 2024 | 39 |
| 2025 | 59 |
| 2026 | 45 |
The move
Tether's release credited Habbel's background at the private equity firm he co-founded. “As CEO of Limestone Capital, he built a successful alternative asset management firm overseeing $1 billion in assets across multiple funds, operating companies, and more than 500 employees,” the company wrote1. Chief executive Paolo Ardoino tied the hire to Tether's own ambitions. “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,” Ardoino said.
Before and after the appointment
Habbel had spent nearly a decade building Limestone Capital into a global investment platform, Tether's release said1. Earlier, he held leadership roles at Google. He helped scale Android and Google Maps, and he served as chief of staff to Marissa Mayer. As chief business officer, he took on Tether's portfolio of investments spanning “AI, tele-communications, Bitcoin mining and energy, cloud computing, digital assets, real estate, neurotech, and other sectors,” the release said. Crypto.news reported the appointment came as USDT circulation stood at $172 billion. Tether was reportedly weighing a $20 billion raise aimed at a $500 billion valuation2.
What came next
Habbel stepped down in June 2026, nine months in. The Bitcoin Foundation, citing Bloomberg, reported on June 12, 2026 that he went back to Limestone Capital as managing partner, with Tether itself an investor in the firm, and that the two planned to deepen their tie as Habbel's work turned to the real estate both now hold3. A Tether spokesperson told Bloomberg, as the Bitcoin Foundation reported it, “As Tether steadily expands its real estate business, this is where Ben's expertise will have the greatest impact, and he will continue to work closely with us to develop the portfolio.”
Sources
- Tether, "Tether Appoints Benjamin Habbel as Chief Business Officer to Drive Next Phase of Global Growth," Tether, Sep. 24, 2025, https://tether.io/news/tether-appoints-benjamin-habbel-as-chief-business-officer-to-drive-next-phase-of-global-growth/
- Brian Danga, "Tether names ex-Google executive Benjamin Habbel as new CBO," crypto.news, Sep. 24, 2025, https://crypto.news/tether-names-ex-google-executive-benjamin-habbel-as-new-cbo/
- Denis O., "Tether Crypto Executive Leaves as Real Estate Push Grows," Bitcoin Foundation, Jun. 12, 2026, https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxPSUR0aDcxTGF1clB6QzlWZ2tWTWVJOUFaUnNSbXZEaVhGempiQ0hRTk1DLTQzYkROQ1I3aFJfeXRBQW5TUUhSQ0hpa0NYMS1uWU8yM2ZIZWR3S0RFcHhpcTZKMEQ2aktRbE1ockE1cjc5eHhMYk4ySXMwOXV6SkdIaUQwSUdMSUlwdndzSGZ4MExuVnVCNHQybzF0Wjg4dkwwLThnRG5EWk1XTDBE?oc=5