Analysis topic
Photo: Giorgio Trovato / UnsplashStablecoins
These pieces cover USDT and USDC: who issues them, what the issuers say backs them, which networks carry them and when an issuer can freeze an address.
They also cover buying USDT, the USDC rewards terms at Coinbase and whether XRP is a stablecoin. Figures come from issuer disclosures, terms and exchange fee pages.
Every figure in these pieces traces to a document named at the foot of the page it appears on. Nothing here is a recommendation to gamble.
7 pieces, newest first
· 6 minHow to buy USDT, which exchanges list it, which network to pick and what it costsIn the US, Coinbase and Gemini list USDT and Robinhood shows it for market data only. Tether sells directly only to verified customers with a 100,000 USD minimum. In the EEA, Coinbase, Kraken and Binance have restricted or delisted it under MiCA. The network picked at withdrawal decides whether the tokens arrive. · 6 minIs XRP a stablecoin? The GENIUS Act definition, Ripple's RLUSD and why bitcoin is not one eitherXRP is not a stablecoin. The GENIUS Act defines a payment stablecoin as one whose issuer must redeem it for a fixed amount of money; XRP and bitcoin have no such issuer and float on supply and demand. Ripple's dollar stablecoin is RLUSD, with $2,460.7 million circulating on 8 October 2026. · 6 minUSDC vs USDT, compared on issuer, reserves, audits, freezes and US lawUSDT is issued by Tether International, S.A. de C.V. in El Salvador and reports quarterly attestations; USDC is issued by Circle and reports monthly. Tether reported $184.6 billion of USDT at 30 June 2026, Circle $72.7 billion of USDC on 12 October 2026. Both can block addresses. · 6 minUSDT TRC-20 wallet: which wallets hold Tether on Tron, what a transfer costs in TRX, and who can freeze itTRC-20 USDT is Tether's token on the Tron blockchain, at contract TR7NHqjeKQxGTCi8q8ZY4pL8otSzgjLj6t. Any wallet that holds Tron addresses can hold it, 16 of 30 on the register name Tron, but sending it costs TRX for energy and bandwidth, and Tether's terms let it freeze any holder's tokens. · 6 minWhat is bitcoin backed by? The whitepaper, proof of work, and what a reserve-backed token addsBitcoin is not backed by a reserve or an issuer's promise. The protocol issues it to miners who spend computing work, under a fixed schedule capped at 20,999,999.9769 BTC, and its value rests on what buyers will pay. Stablecoins such as USDT and USDC are claims on an issuer's reserves; spot bitcoin ETFs are backed by bitcoin held at a custodian. · 5 minWhat is USDC on Coinbase? Circle's dollar token, Coinbase's rewards terms and redemptionUSDC on Coinbase is a dollar token issued by Circle that Coinbase lets customers buy, hold and convert at $1 for $1 with no conversion fee. Coinbase advertises up to 3.75% APY on USDC, which its help centre calls a loyalty program funded by Coinbase, open in the US to Coinbase One members only. · 8 minWhat is USDT? Tether's own terms on networks, freezes and casino depositsUSDT is a token Tether issues and redeems, which its terms say is "100% backed" by reserves. Tether lists 13 chains for it, can freeze any holder's tokens, and says it has frozen more than $5 billion. 20 of 24 register casinos list USDT; the network is recorded for 2.