Tether与哈萨克斯坦央行签署坚戈稳定币谅解备忘录

USDT and the Central Bank of Kazakhstan sign a memorandum of understanding on Tenge stablecoin

According to Cointelegraph, on October 7, 2026, Tether signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Bank of Kazakhstan and the city authorities of Aratau, aiming to study the framework for pegged Tenge stablecoin and the tokenization of real-world assets. The agreement is currently in the exploratory stage and has not yet announced the issuance date, blockchain options, reserve structure or commercial issuer of any proposed tokens.

Cooperation details and regulatory stance

According to Tether's instructions, under the framework of the memorandum, all parties will examine the stablecoin issuance models adopted in other markets, identify potential use cases in Kazakhstan, and prepare pilot plans for tokens pegged to the national currency. Binur Zalenov, deputy governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, said that regulators plan to study internationally stable stablecoin issuance and tokenization methods, while giving priority to financial stability, transaction transparency and investor protection.

Tether CEO Paul Aldoino pointed out that as digital assets move towards sovereign-grade financial infrastructure, Kazakhstan is exploring tokenization and strategic reserve frameworks. The statement described Tether's views on the cooperation rather than confirming that Kazakhstan had adopted a Tether-backed reserve plan.

Sort out key facts

• Nature of the agreement: The memorandum of understanding signed on October 7, 2026 is only exploratory research and not a token launch. There are currently no stablecoins approved or issued.
• Research content: All parties will study the international stablecoin issuance model, determine use cases, and prepare pilot proposals. Seminars and training will also be held on reserve management, distributed ledger technology and tokenization.
• Legal basis: In the comprehensive digital asset rules that came into effect on May 1, 2026, the National Bank of Kazakhstan recognize currency-backed stablecoins and tokenized physical assets as digital financial assets.
• Technology Platform: The tokenization pilot in Alatau may use Tether's Hadron platform, which is used to issue and manage tokenized assets such as bonds, stocks, stablecoins, funds and commodity-backed tokens.

Existing pilot project background

It is worth noting that Kazakhstan has been promoting relevant pilots before. In September 2025, the National Bank launched the first tenge-denominated stablecoin pilot project through a regulatory sandbox. The project was issued by Intebix, in conjunction with Solana, Mastercard and Eurasian Bank, and was named Evo or KZTE. The newly signed memorandum of understanding does not clearly state whether the proposed pilot will replace, expand or be conducted independently of the existing Evo/KZTE project.

Special status of the city of Aratau

The city of Alatau gained special status in the Kazakhstan economic framework earlier this year. The government statement confirmed that constitutional changes that took effect on July 1 created a framework for accelerating urban development, and Alatau became the first region to adopt the model, focusing on investment, technology and the new economic model. National Bank has previously demonstrated Alatau to international investors as a testing ground for digital finance and tokenization.

Tether's layout in global digital asset projects

Hadron components link this memorandum of understanding to Tether's broader institutional work. In August this year, the company announced a partnership with First Data and BKN301 to focus on the tokenization of institutional real estate assets in Saudi Arabia; in July, it signed a separate agreement with the Nairobi Stock Exchange to study securities tokenization and blockchain infrastructure. Each party will also hold conferences and training courses covering stablecoin markets, reserve management, distributed ledger technology and real-world asset tokenization models, which is the operational layer before any actual deployment.

Why is it worth paying attention to

Kazakhstan is in a unique position: before signing the new memorandum of understanding, it already had an operating stablecoin pilot and legal framework. Therefore, the agreement with Tether is more about scale and institutional design than first-mover advantage. If the research phase translates into an Alatau pilot, it will test whether large stablecoin issuers can integrate into a state-led framework under the guidance of national regulators, rather than parallel with it. The signal to other central banks is whether this country, which is already one of the world's major bitcoin producers and holds crypto assets in the national reserve structure, will choose an external issuer to formalize the issuance of stablecoins.

Focus on follow-up observations

The specific next step is the concepts and pilot proposals that all parties commit to preparing, as well as confirmation of whether the Alatau tokenization pilot uses the Hadron platform and its target asset classes. Since neither media reported on the release date or the blockchain selected, the timing of the seminar and any draft proposals will be recent data points that show whether this memorandum of understanding goes beyond the research stage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Have the USDT and Kazakhstan issued tenge to support stablecoins?

No. The memorandum of understanding dated October 7, 2026 is exploratory. All parties will study international issuance models and prepare pilot proposals, but no tokens have been approved, issued or scheduled.

What is Tether's Hadron platform used for?

Hadron is Tether's platform to create and manage tokenized assets, supporting bonds, stocks, stablecoins, funds and commodity-backed tokens throughout its issuance life cycle. It may be used in the proposed Alatau City tokenization pilot.

Has Kazakhstan regulated stablecoins and tokenized assets?

Yes. The National Bank introduced comprehensive digital asset rules on May 1, 2026, recognizing currency-backed stablecoins, tokenized physical assets, and digital versions of traditional financial instruments as digital financial assets.

What was the previous Tenge stablecoin pilot in Kazakhstan?

In September 2025, the Bank of China launched the first pilot of tenge-denominated stablecoin through its regulatory sandbox, issued by Intebix, in conjunction with Solana, MasterCard and Eurasian Bank, called Evo or KZTE.

How big are Kazakhstan's Bitcoin holdings and crypto reserves?

According to the announcement, Kazakhstan's national strategic encryption reserves have reached US$700 million. BitcoinTreasuries.net estimates that the country holds approximately 3,544 BTC, worth approximately US$294 million.