Brock Pierce, co-founder of Tether and early Bitcoin investor, purchased Turtle Island, a 500-acre private resort in Fiji's Yasawa archipelago, on January 21, 2026. The deal closed for $100 million cash through his Blue Federal Holdings. The property features 14 luxury villas, white-sand beaches, and a helipad used by celebrities like Brooke Shields in the 1980 film Blue Lagoon.
Pierce announced plans to transform the island into a "crypto utopia" for blockchain enthusiasts. Residents would access Tether stablecoin payments, NFT-gated villas, and DeFi workshops. He hosted a launch party on January 22 with 50 guests, including Vitalik Buterin and Changpeng Zhao, who arrived via private jet from Nadi International Airport.
The purchase caps Pierce's real estate spree. He acquired a Puerto Rico compound in 2024 for $28 million and invested $50 million in Montana ranches in 2025. Pierce told Forbes the Fiji outpost offers privacy amid U.S. regulatory crackdowns on crypto.
Pierce upgraded staff quarters and added solar power ahead of the handover on February 1, 2026. Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka welcomed the deal, citing 200 new jobs for locals in the Nanuya Island village.
Pierce built his fortune from Tether's USDT, the top stablecoin with a $120 billion market cap as of January 24. He starred in Disney's Mighty Ducks at age 11 before pivoting to crypto in 2013. Neighbors praised his vision but voiced concerns over exclusivity limiting public access.
The resort already pulls in $15 million a year from weddings and corporate retreats. Pierce now wants to push that to $25 million by 2027, banking on crypto conferences to fill the gap. He filed for a Fiji digital asset license on January 23, hoping to make on-site trading a reality.