Tether—the world’s largest stablecoin issuer with a market cap exceeding $180 billion—announced the open-sourcing of its Wallet Development Kit (WDK).
This modular toolkit is designed to empower developers, businesses, and even AI agents to build secure, self-custodial wallets that work seamlessly across multiple blockchains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others.
Unlike proprietary frameworks that lock users into specific ecosystems or charge fees, WDK is fully open-source, ecosystem-agnostic, and extensible to any blockchain or digital asset.
Compatible with Bitcoin, Lightning Network, Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, Solana, TON, and other EVM/non-EVM chains. Enables cross-chain transfers, DeFi (swaps, lending), and payments.
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Device Agnostic Integrates into any platform—from mobile apps and desktops to embedded hardware, IoT devices, and AI systems.
AI and Machine Integration: Built for “new digital beings” like AI agents and autonomous robots, allowing machine-to-machine transactions without intermediaries.
Modular Architecture: Includes pre-built templates for features like mnemonic backups, peer-to-peer functionality, and asset management. Developers can audit, customize, and contribute to the code freely.
Asset Support: Initially focuses on USDT (USD), Bitcoin (BTC), XAU (gold-backed), with upcoming support for USA and more. The kit’s emphasis on self-custody aligns with Tether’s vision of a “free and resilient monetary infrastructure,” where users retain full control over their funds—no masters, no limits.
Tether’s AI and Infrastructure Push
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino emphasized the toolkit’s role in democratizing finance: “We imagine a world where humans, autonomous machines, and AI agents have the freedom to control their own finances and transact without boundaries.”
This release builds on Tether’s recent AI initiatives, including: Tether AI launched in May 2025: An open-source runtime for AI agents that can already use WDK for sending/receiving BTC and USDT.
AI-powered tools like a Bitcoin Wallet Assistant for natural language interactions and an AI Translate engine. Ardoino has predicted explosive growth in AI-driven economies, forecasting “one trillion agents” transacting in stablecoins and Bitcoin within 15 years—far outpacing traditional banks’ ability to onboard machines.
Upcoming products like the Rumble Wallet and Tether’s own self-custodial solution will be built on WDK, showcasing its scalability. This move positions Tether beyond stablecoins into core crypto infrastructure, potentially accelerating adoption in DeFi and machine commerce.
KeyNews noted its potential to drive USDT integrations and Ethereum activity, while cautioning on open-source security audits. WDK could lower barriers for wallet innovation, fostering a more inclusive digital economy.
The Tether AI Runtime, launched in May 2025, is an open-source software framework designed to enable AI agents, autonomous systems, and “new digital beings” to interact seamlessly with blockchain-based financial systems, particularly for self-custodial transactions.
It’s a core component of Tether’s broader vision to integrate artificial intelligence with decentralized finance (DeFi), allowing machines to manage and transact digital assets like USDT, Bitcoin (BTC), and others without human intermediaries.
The Tether AI Runtime is a lightweight, modular environment that provides AI agents with the tools to Interact with Blockchains Connect to networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and others to send/receive digital assets.
Manage private keys and wallets securely, ensuring AI agents maintain full control over funds without reliance on centralized custodians.
Perform machine-to-machine (M2M) payments, DeFi operations and other financial actions autonomously. Integrate with Tether’s Wallet Development Kit (WDK). The runtime leverages the open-source WDK to build and manage wallets compatible with multiple blockchains.
Think of it as a bridge between AI systems and crypto infrastructure, enabling machines to participate in the digital economy as independent entities. The runtime provides a standardized interface for AI agents to Generate and Manage Wallets.
Using WDK, agents can create secure wallets with mnemonic backups and multi-chain support. Agents can send/receive USDT or BTC, execute smart contracts, or engage in DeFi protocols.
The runtime supports natural language interactions via tools like Tether’s Bitcoin Wallet Assistant and programmatic APIs for machine-driven workflows. It’s designed to run on diverse platforms, from cloud servers to embedded hardware in IoT or robotic systems.
For example, an AI agent running the Tether AI Runtime could autonomously pay for cloud computing resources in USDT on Ethereum or settle a microtransaction in BTC over the Lightning Network, all without human oversight.
Tether’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino, envisions a future with “one trillion agents” transacting in stablecoins and Bitcoin. The runtime enables this by giving machines direct access to financial rails.
By integrating with DeFi ecosystems, the runtime allows AI to participate in lending, staking, and trading, potentially unlocking new economic models.
However, open-source security remains a discussion point, with calls for rigorous community audits. The Tether AI Runtime is available on Tether’s GitHub repository, alongside the WDK.
Developers and AI researchers can explore the codebase, contribute, or integrate it into their projects. This runtime is a bold step toward a future where AI agents are first-class citizens in a decentralized financial system, potentially reshaping how value flows in the digital age.