Tether, issuer of the most widely used stablecoin USDT, has ended support for three blockchain networks due to waning usage and community traction.
The company said Thursday it will no longer mint new USDT tokens on the Kusama, Bitcoin Cash SLP, and Omni protocols.
Tether regularly evaluates which chains to support based on factors like security, customer demand, and regulatory requirements. Networks that lack adoption over time may be discontinued to maintain efficiency and oversight.
Kusama is a test network for the Polkadot blockchain. Bitcoin Cash SLP is a token system built on top of Bitcoin Cash. And Omni Layer is one of the original Bitcoin sidechains that first enabled USDT in 2014.
Discontinuing Omni support was an emotional decision, Tether's CTO Paolo Ardoino stated, given its historical significance. But declining USDT volume led many exchanges to migrate to other options.
"As a principled organization, we must remain consistent and transparent, and adhere to open processes, even if it entails difficult choices," Ardoino said.
In the past day, Bitcoin Cash has fallen over 14% on the news, while Kusama is down more than 7%.
Tether remains committed to supporting only blockchains with sufficient community traction and long-term viability. While painful in the short term, dropping lagging networks should allow Tether to focus on security and compliance across its strongest offerings.
The company's willingness to prune outdated chains demonstrates a forward-looking approach as the market matures. Only time will tell if these networks can regain momentum or fade away entirely. For now, Tether is placing its bets on where the users are today.