David Edwards
Tether Inc., the world’s largest stablecoin issuer by market capitalization, is set to extend its reach by launching the USDT stablecoin on the Aptos blockchain. This move, announced on August 19, underscores Tether’s ongoing efforts to broaden its blockchain portfolio.
The integration of USDT into Aptos, a layer-1 blockchain created by former Facebook engineers, highlights the network’s burgeoning developer community as a key driver. Tether praised the “steady increase in deployed contracts” on Aptos, suggesting robust and continuous development within the ecosystem.
Although the specific launch date for USDT on Aptos remains undisclosed, the announcement had an immediate impact, with Aptos’ native token, APT, rising nearly 3% to $6, according to data from crypto.news.
Tether’s decision was also influenced by Aptos’ “extremely low gas fees,” which the company believes will support a wide range of use cases, from microtransactions to large-scale enterprise operations. “The strategic collaboration between Tether and Aptos leverages these transformative features to enhance the utility and accessibility of USDT, making it more appealing to users across various economic backgrounds,” the company stated.
Mo Shaikh, CEO of Aptos Labs, expressed optimism about the partnership, noting that it would enable the network to process “massive volumes” and accelerate user base growth. “As a member of the Aptos community, I’m looking forward to seeing builders across Aptos’ hefty ecosystem combine strengths with Tether and leverage Move on Aptos to push the boundaries of what blockchain technology can achieve for users globally,” Shaikh added.
This latest integration marks another step in Tether’s extensive network expansion, which already includes major blockchains like Ethereum, TRON, and Solana. Despite its widespread presence, the bulk of Tether’s supply remains concentrated on Ethereum and TRON, with $60.8 billion and $52.9 billion in liquidity, respectively, according to Tether data.
However, Tether is also streamlining its operations in response to increasing competition. In June, the company announced plans to cease support for multiple stablecoins on less-utilized platforms such as Omni, Kusama, SLP, EOS, and Algorand by September 2025, citing the need to balance maintainability, usage, and community interest.
