Key Takeaways
- • The Wall Street Journal reports Tether paid approximately $6.3 million to Nxum, a consulting firm co-founded by former White House crypto adviser Bo Hines, with the first $2.49 million arriving in May 2025 while Hines ran White House crypto policy.
- • The Journal reports Tether later hired Hines after the stablecoin legislation he worked on became law, according to publisher summaries of the report.
- • A representative for Nxum said Hines received no Tether-derived funds while he was in government and was unaware of the business dealings with Tether.
- • The Journal says Hines pushed to extend a period from 18 months to three years, a change that would benefit Tether, according to publisher summaries.
- • The reporting raises conflict-of-interest questions around federal stablecoin policy and the firms involved in shaping it.
Summary
The Wall Street Journal reports that Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, routed approximately $6.3 million in payments to Nxum, a consulting firm co-founded by Bo Hines, while Hines served as a White House cryptocurrency adviser. According to the Journal, the first payment of $2.49 million arrived in May 2025, during Hines's tenure overseeing White House crypto policy. The Journal reports that Nxum earned $6.3 million from the arrangement.
According to the Journal's reporting, as summarized by publisher coverage, Hines worked on landmark stablecoin legislation during the period in which payments flowed to Nxum. The Journal reports that Hines pushed to extend a period from 18 months to three years, a change that would benefit Tether. After the law passed, Tether hired Hines, according to the report.
A firm representative said Hines was unaware of the business dealings with Tether and did not receive Tether-derived funds while in government. The representative's account is the firm's position and has not been independently verified in the available reporting. Coverage of the story notes that the firm denies Hines knew of the dealings or received Tether funds while in office.
The report draws attention to the intersection of private stablecoin issuers and federal policymaking. For institutional investors tracking stablecoin regulation, the allegations bear on the perceived independence of the policy process and could influence scrutiny of issuer relationships with former officials.
According to the Journal's reporting, as summarized by publisher coverage, Hines worked on landmark stablecoin legislation during the period in which payments flowed to Nxum. The Journal reports that Hines pushed to extend a period from 18 months to three years, a change that would benefit Tether. After the law passed, Tether hired Hines, according to the report.
A firm representative said Hines was unaware of the business dealings with Tether and did not receive Tether-derived funds while in government. The representative's account is the firm's position and has not been independently verified in the available reporting. Coverage of the story notes that the firm denies Hines knew of the dealings or received Tether funds while in office.
The report draws attention to the intersection of private stablecoin issuers and federal policymaking. For institutional investors tracking stablecoin regulation, the allegations bear on the perceived independence of the policy process and could influence scrutiny of issuer relationships with former officials.
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