Tether Expands USD₮ to Line's 196M Users via Kaia Blockchain

Tether, the issuer of the world's largest stablecoin by market capitalization, has expanded its reach by launching USD₮ on the Kaia blockchain. This move is part of a broader collaboration with Line Next, the Web3 arm of Line, a popular messaging platform in Japan with over 196 million monthly active users. The integration allows USD₮ to be supported across Line’s messenger-based Mini DApp ecosystem and self-custodial wallet, enabling users to interact with stablecoins within an interface they already use daily.

With this integration, Line users can now use USD₮ for a variety of purposes, including in-app payments, cross-border transfers, and decentralized finance (DeFi) activities. This development is expected to make digital assets more accessible and practical for everyday consumers in the region. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino highlighted the significance of this expansion, stating that it underscores Tether’s commitment to fostering stablecoin adoption across Asia and beyond.

Initial features of this integration include mission-based USDT rewards within Mini DApps and peer-to-peer USDT transfers via Line’s in-app wallet. Future additions may expand stablecoin functionality across other app layers, making the experience more seamless for users. The Kaia blockchain, which powers Line’s Mini DApps, offers low-latency transactions and immediate finality, making it a strong partner for stablecoin activity. According to Kaia DLT Foundation chair Sam Seo, this collaboration aims to provide the fastest, easiest, and most reliable USDT experience to users across various platforms.

Line Next CEO Youngsu Ko also emphasized that the stablecoin integration will help create a “dollar-based gateway” for users, making Web3 services more practical and accessible. This move is part of Tether’s ongoing efforts to expand its stablecoin offerings and increase its presence in the global market. Tether has been consistently minting new tokens, with a recent minting of $1 billion USDT on the Tron network, bringing the total USDT on Tron to $71.4 billion. In comparison, there is currently $72.8 billion USDT circulating on the Ethereum network.

This expansion comes at a time when the crypto industry is facing increasing oversight and regulatory scrutiny. Tether recently announced a partnership with Chainalysis to integrate the company’s compliance and monitoring tools onto Tether’s tokenization platform. This move is aimed at enhancing the security and compliance of Tether’s stablecoin offerings, ensuring that they meet the highest standards of regulatory compliance.