Tether, a cryptocurrency that claims to be backed by hard cash, is in the spotlight after reports that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission last month subpoenaed documents from the digital-asset platform. Tether and its sister company Bitfinex have been raising eyebrows within the digital-currency community, as critics question the accuracy behind assertions that every tether is supported by actual bank reserves. In recent months, the issuance of tether coins has caught the eye of market participants: in January, Tether Limited printed 850 million tethers, often referred to as USDT, but so far it has yet to provide evidence that $850 million is in reserve to support that offering. According to Tether, its assets total $2.3 billion with as many tokens trading on exchanges such as Bitfinex and Kraken.via