Tether Expands USDT To Bitcoin And Lightning Network

According to CoinDesk, Tether, the company behind the largest stablecoin, is set to introduce its $140 billion USDT token to Bitcoin and the Bitcoin-based scaling service, Lightning Network. This announcement was made at the Plan B conference in San Salvador, where Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino highlighted the initiative's goal to provide practical solutions for remittances, payments, and other financial applications requiring both speed and reliability. Stablecoins, a $200 billion digital asset class, are primarily anchored to external assets like the U.S. dollar. They act as a bridge between traditional government-issued money and blockchain-based digital assets, gaining popularity for everyday uses such as payments, savings, and remittances, particularly in emerging markets. Despite the rapid expansion of stablecoin usage, most activity and supply remain concentrated on smart contract platforms like Ethereum, Tron, and Solana. The integration of USDT with Bitcoin is facilitated by Taproot Assets, an infrastructure component that enables asset issuances on the Bitcoin base layer and transfers over the Lightning Network. This scaling platform focuses on fast and cost-effective transactions, enhancing the efficiency of micropayments. Developed by Lightning Labs and released last year, the protocol paves the way for external tokens like stablecoins to enter the Bitcoin ecosystem. Elizabeth Stark, CEO of Lightning Labs, emphasized that millions of people can now use the most open and secure blockchain to send dollars globally. She noted that bringing USDT to Bitcoin merges Bitcoin's security and decentralization with Lightning's speed and scalability.