According to Cointelegraph, Tether's USDT stablecoin is set to offer commission-free transactions on the Tron blockchain, as announced by Tron founder Justin Sun. Sun revealed in a post on X that the Tron Gas Free feature, which supports USDT gas payments without requiring TRX, will be launched within the next week. He encouraged teams and wallets interested in supporting this gas-free feature for Tether USDt (USDT) to reach out to JustLend, the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) and official lending platform on Tron.
Tron was previously recognized as one of the most cost-effective blockchains for USDT transactions, providing a cheaper alternative to ERC-20 USDT on Ethereum. However, recent data indicates that Tron has become one of the most expensive networks for USDT transfers. Tether's GasFeesNow page shows that TRC-20 USDt gas fees are currently the highest among supported blockchains, ranging from $3.20 to $6.50, compared to ERC-20 USDt fees, which are approximately $0.40. The page also notes the complexity of estimating gas fees on the Tron network, highlighting the need for wallets to possess 'energy' and 'bandwidth' for TRC-20 USDT transfers. Regular users who send USDT infrequently may find their wallets lacking in energy, prompting Tether's GasFeesNow page to suggest methods for reducing fees.
The surge in TRC-20 USDt gas fees began in late 2024, peaking above $9 per transaction on December 9, leading to user dissatisfaction as Tron was no longer the cheapest option for stablecoin transfers. In response, the Tron Foundation has been working on gas-free TRC-20 transaction tools since at least July 2024, with Sun initially planning to introduce these features by the fourth quarter of 2024. Sun expressed optimism that such services would significantly aid large companies in deploying stablecoin services on the blockchain, thereby advancing blockchain mass adoption. Cointelegraph reached out to JustLend for comments on the upcoming Tron Gas Free feature but did not receive a response by the time of publication.