Tether Integrates USDT into the Bitcoin Ecosystem via Taproot Assets
Date: 2025-01-31 Author: Henry Casey Categories: BUSINESS
Tether has announced a new step in its ecosystem by integrating USDT on two levels into the Bitcoin network - both the base and the Lightning Network. This was made possible by using the Taproot Assets protocol from Lightning Labs, which offers new opportunities for more efficient and scalable payments. The integration opens up access to a number of convenient features such as microtransactions, cross-border transfers, and settlements.
The collaboration between Tether and Lightning Labs will continue, aimed at developing the ecosystem and supporting the global crypto community. In October 2024, the company reported that its stablecoin was used by 330 million crypto wallets and accounts on the blockchain. As of the beginning of Q4 2024, there were over 109 million USDT holders, more than twice as many as Bitcoin and close to the number of Ethereum users.
In addition, in January 2025, Tether introduced a new cross-chain stablecoin USDT0, based on Kraken's Layer 2 solution for Ethereum called Ink. In July 2024, the company also added support for the Aptos network, and in April of the same year, it expanded its presence on the Telegram Open Network (TON) blockchain.
At the same time, Tether decided to complete the release of USDT on the EOS and Algorand networks, focusing on more promising and in-demand areas.
