Elemental Royalty Becomes First Public Gold Company to Pay Shareholder Dividends in Tether Gold (XAU₮)

TLDR:

• Elemental Royalty becomes the first public gold company globally to offer shareholder dividends payable in XAU₮. 
• XAU₮ is a physical gold-backed digital asset that combines gold’s stability with blockchain’s transferability and efficiency. 
• Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino says XAU₮ dividends solve the long-standing challenge of integrating gold into modern finance models. 
• The move signals tokenized real-world assets are expanding beyond trading and entering mainstream corporate finance structures.

Tether Gold (XAU₮) has reached a historic milestone in both the gold and digital asset industries. On February 17, 2026, Tether announced that Elemental Royalty Corporation would offer shareholders dividends payable in XAU₮.

This makes Elemental the first publicly listed gold company globally to adopt tokenized gold for dividend distributions.

The move connects traditional gold ownership with blockchain-based financial infrastructure, opening a new chapter in how gold companies return value to investors.

Elemental Royalty Introduces a New Standard for Gold Dividends

Elemental Royalty Corporation is a publicly traded gold royalty company. The company has announced that shareholders can now elect to receive dividends denominated in XAU₮. This option gives investors direct exposure to physical gold rather than cash equivalents.

XAU₮ is a digital asset backed by physical gold. It combines the long-standing stability of gold with the efficiency and transferability of blockchain technology. As a result, the dividend structure aligns more closely with the company’s underlying gold assets.

For decades, gold investors have sought more direct ways to participate in gold-linked value creation. This announcement addresses that need by enabling returns tied directly to gold. Shareholders also benefit from the flexibility of digital settlement through the blockchain.

Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, commented on the development. He stated that integrating gold into modern financial distribution models has historically been difficult. According to Ardoino, using XAU₮ for shareholder dividends changes that dynamic entirely.

“Gold has always been one of the most trusted stores of value in the world, yet integrating it directly into modern financial distribution models has been difficult. Using XAU₮ for shareholder dividends changes that dynamic completely.” Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether

Tokenized Gold Moves Into Corporate Finance

The announcement marks a broader evolution for tokenized real-world assets. Tokenization has largely been associated with trading and investment products until now.

However, this move by Elemental brings it into the area of corporate finance and shareholder distributions.

XAU₮ is increasingly being used as a bridge between traditional commodities and digital financial infrastructure. This development shows how tokenized assets can support financial models that were previously difficult to execute. In turn, it helps expand access to gold in more practical ways.

The gold industry has traditionally operated through conventional financial systems. This announcement demonstrates that blockchain infrastructure can now support real-world corporate actions at a public company level. That is a concrete step forward for both industries.

As tokenized real-world assets continue to gain momentum globally, more companies may follow Elemental’s approach.

The combination of gold’s proven value and blockchain’s operational efficiency offers a model that is both accessible and transparent.

This development signals growing maturity in how digital assets interact with traditional financial markets.

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