Last updated on March 8th, 2026 at 03:46 pm
Elemental Royalty Corp (Nasdaq: ELE) has made history by becoming the first public gold company to offer shareholder dividends payable in tokenized gold. The Nasdaq-listed royalty firm announced on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, that it will provide investors the option to receive their payouts in Tether Gold (XAUt) rather than traditional fiat currency.
Tether Gold (XAU₮) Enables Historic First-Ever Gold Dividend Distribution by a Public Gold Company. Elemental Royalty Corporation becomes the first gold company globally to offer shareholder dividends payable in XAU₮
Read more:https://t.co/ADwk99mUQb
— Tether (@tether) February 17, 2026
This is a major shift in the way public corporations distribute value. With the help of XAUt, Elemental Royalty enables shareholders to directly participate in the value of physical gold reserves without the need for storage and the risks of inflation that come with cash. Each XAUt token represents ownership of one troy fine ounce of physical gold stored in secure vaults in Switzerland.
Blockchain technology integration redefines shareholder value
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino pointed out that gold is a classic store of value, but its integration into contemporary distribution systems has always been a challenge.
“The use of XAUt for shareholder dividends flips this script entirely,”
Ardoino said. He added that this move eliminates the uncertainty that is common in a failing monetary system by providing a clear and transparent alternative.
This move also makes Elemental Royalty a leader in the Real World Asset (RWA) industry. The company’s Executive Chairman, Juan Sartori, called this move a “world first” that distinguishes the company as a growth-oriented investment. Eligible registered shareholders can now choose to have their dividends parity-priced in XAUt, effectively moving physical gold ownership into their digital wallets.
Tokenized gold dominance continues to surge
Tether Investments made a significant move in January 2026, announcing on Thursday, February 5, 2026, a $150 million strategic investment in Gold.com, a leading precious metals platform. This action, which involves acquiring a 12% minority stake (3.37 million common shares at $44.50 each), is intended to fast-track the global adoption of both tokenized and physical gold.
The partnership builds upon a period of swift institutional uptake for Tether’s gold-backed products. A core goal of this collaboration is the integration of Tether’s gold-backed stablecoin, $XAU₮ (Tether Gold), into Gold.com’s operational structure, alongside exploring new payment methods for physical gold using $USD₮ and $USA₮.
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