21 BTC

Stablecoins on Bitcoin

USDT, USDB, DePix and synthetic dollars on Liquid, Lightning, RGB, Spark and Ark: what is live, what is promised, and how much is really there.

Live supplyStatusCompareTimelineWalletsRisksHow toFAQSources
  • USDT was born on Bitcoin: Omni Layer, 6 October 2014.
  • Today Liquid is the only Bitcoin layer where Tether actively issues USDT; Omni still carries a bigger legacy balance, but it is frozen in time (see the live counter).
  • Two Tether routes back to Bitcoin: Taproot Assets (Lightning Labs, announced January 2025) and RGB (Utexo, launch targeted for October 2026).
  • The stablecoin you can already hold in Wallet of Satoshi and Blink is USDB on Spark, not USDT.
  • Don't want an issuer? Stable Channels give you a dollar balance made only of BTC.
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Live supply

Discuss
USDt on Liquid, circulating
$33.7M
Tether transparency report
USDT on Omni (legacy)
$80.0M
Minting stopped in 2023 · $32.3M quarantined
USDB on Spark (Brale)
$976,579
4,765 holders · issuer can freeze
Share of all USDT on Bitcoin layers
0.062%
of $184.25B USDT on all chains
DePix on Liquid, minted (upper bound)
23,000,001 BRL
DePix on Spark
5,000,001 BRL · 70 holders
USDh on Stacks (Hermetica)
$2.0M
Taproot Assets universe (all assets)
109,624 · 513 groups

Updated · refreshed every 4 hours from Tether transparency, Blockstream Liquid esplora, SparkScan, Hiro, Lightning Labs universe and Omni Explorer. Tether snapshot: 2026-10-09 23:30 UTC. On-chain 'issued' on Liquid is not circulation: Tether keeps unissued USDt in its own treasury, so we use Tether's own circulating figure.

Status board: what actually works

Discuss

USDt on Liquid (L-USDt)

Tether · Liquid (federated Bitcoin sidechain) · 2019-07-29
Live on mainnet
$33.7M

Live since July 2019. The only Bitcoin-layer rail where Tether still actively issues and redeems USDt today (Omni still shows a larger legacy balance, but minting stopped in 2023). Bitfinex Liquid USDt deposits/withdrawals were reported working again on 2026-09-11 (L-BTC on Bitfinex still paused).

How it works, pros, risks, sources

Liquid is a Bitcoin sidechain run by a federation of functionaries (exchanges and companies). Tether issues USDt there as a Liquid asset. Blocks every ~1 minute, amounts and asset types hidden by Confidential Transactions, fees paid in L-BTC.

Keys: Self-custody of tokens (Liquid wallet); reserves held by Tether.

Freeze: Issuer-controlled asset on a federated chain. Tether reports a 'quarantined' line per chain (0 on Liquid as of 2026-10-10). Whether Tether can freeze individual Liquid outputs is not documented in the sources we checked.

Asset ID: ce091c998b83c78bb71a632313ba3760f1763d9cfcffae02258ffa9865a37bd2

Pros
  • Mature: running since 2019
  • Confidential amounts
  • Atomic swaps USDt <-> L-BTC in SideSwap / Aqua
  • Real Tether issuance, redeemable via Tether
Risks
  • A federation (multisig of functionaries) secures the chain, not Bitcoin miners
  • Issuer risk: Tether reserves, compliance actions
  • Lookalike assets named 'USDt' exist on Liquid: verify the asset ID

Supply method: Tether transparency JSON: totaltokens_liq - reserve_balance_liq - quarantined_liq. Cross-check: Blockstream esplora issued_amount - burned_amount = total authorized (Tether keeps unissued tokens in its own treasury on Liquid, so on-chain 'issued' is NOT circulating).

Wallets: AQUA (JAN3), SideSwap, Blockstream app (ex-Green), Bitfinex (exchange)

USDT on Omni Layer

Tether · Bitcoin L1 (Omni meta-protocol, OP_RETURN) · 2014-10-06
Legacy: minting stopped
$80.0M

The original USDT: Omni property #31, created in Bitcoin block 324,140 (2014-10-06). Tether stopped minting on 2023-08-17 and promised redemptions for at least 12 months. A residual supply still shows in Tether's raw transparency data; Omni Explorer shows only a couple of Omni transactions per day across all tokens.

How it works, pros, risks, sources

Omni writes token transfers into ordinary Bitcoin transactions (OP_RETURN data); Omni nodes read them and keep balances. Every transfer is an L1 transaction with a normal BTC fee.

Keys: Bitcoin addresses (Omni-aware wallets only).

Freeze: Yes: freezing is enabled on the property (omniexplorer: freezingenabled=true). Tether also reports a quarantined amount on Omni.

Asset ID: Omni property 31

Pros
  • Lives directly on Bitcoin L1
  • Historical: where stablecoins began
Risks
  • No new minting; exchange support mostly gone
  • Slow and expensive vs. other options
  • Freezable by issuer

Supply method: Tether transparency JSON: totaltokens_omni - reserve_balance_omni - quarantined_omni (Omni is no longer in the formatted table, only in raw data). Cross-check total authorized: omniexplorer property 31 totaltokens.

USDT via Taproot Assets (Lightning)

Tether (announced) / third-party wrapped versions · Bitcoin L1 + Lightning (Taproot Assets protocol by Lightning Labs)
? Status unverified

Announced by Tether and Lightning Labs on 2025-01-30 at Plan B Forum, El Salvador. Some media (Forbes 2026-03-31, btc.network) say USDT went live on 2026-03-21, but we found NO primary confirmation: no Tether or Lightning Labs release; Lightning Labs' own v0.8 post (2026-06-23) does not say Tether USDT is live; Tether's transparency report has no Bitcoin/Taproot line; tether.wallet (launched 2026-04-14) offers USDT on no Bitcoin layer. What is live: the Taproot Assets protocol itself (mainnet since v0.3, 2023-10-18) and bridged/wrapped dollars from third parties (e.g. Speed's USDT-L, backed by Ethereum USDT per Speed).

How it works, pros, risks, sources

Taproot Assets hides asset data inside Taproot outputs of normal Bitcoin transactions; proofs travel off-chain and are checked by the receiver. Assets can sit in Lightning channels: edge nodes quote a rate (RFQ), so a payer can pay in sats while the receiver gets the stablecoin, over normal BOLT11 invoices.

Keys: Depends on wallet: self-custodial (tapd/litd node) or custodial (app).

Freeze: No protocol-level freeze in Taproot Assets. Issuer controls are off-chain (redemption, blacklists at gateways).

Pros
  • Minimal blockspace footprint
  • Lightning speed, low fees
  • Fits the existing Lightning stack (lnd/litd)
  • On-chain auditable supply commitments since v0.7
Risks
  • Native Tether issuance not confirmed by primary sources
  • Anyone can mint a token named 'USDT' (the Lightning Labs universe already lists many): trust only the issuer's published group key
  • Liquidity depends on a few edge nodes
  • Wrapped versions add a second custodian

Supply method: Not measurable yet: no official Tether asset ID / group key published. Taproot Assets v0.7 added on-chain supply commitments (FetchSupplyCommit), so once an issuer publishes a group key, supply can be verified from a tapd node or universe server. Proxy only: total assets known to the Lightning Labs universe.

Wallets: Speed Wallet, LnFi, Joltz

USDT on RGB (Utexo)

Tether brand, issued by Utexo under commercial licence (per Utexo) · Bitcoin L1 (RGB client-side validation); Lightning later
Announced, not launched

Tether announced USDT on RGB on 2025-08-28 (RGB reached mainnet with v0.11.1). Utexo (raised a $7.5M seed co-led by Tether, 2026-03-06) told CoinDesk on 2026-10-02 it expects to start issuing USDT on Bitcoin mainnet in October 2026; no exact date as of 2026-10-10. Utexo SDK docs are testnet-only. Paolo Ardoino on X, 2026-09-24: 'USDT on Bitcoin. It's coming home'.

How it works, pros, risks, sources

RGB binds token ownership to Bitcoin UTXOs. Bitcoin only sees a commitment; the history is passed from sender to receiver and validated client-side. Utexo plans private transfers, direct BTC<->USDT swaps and loans against native BTC; Lightning is phase two.

Keys: Self-custody in RGB wallets (state kept by the user, anchored to Bitcoin UTXOs).

Freeze: A UTXO cannot be frozen on-chain. Per Utexo, sanctioned UTXOs go on a blacklist shared with exchanges/bridges and become unredeemable.

Pros
  • Strong privacy: transfers not visible on the public ledger
  • No new opcodes needed in Bitcoin
  • Tether-backed effort with an official licence
Risks
  • Not launched yet
  • Lose your client-side data and you lose the tokens (backups critical)
  • Supply not publicly auditable on-chain
  • Young tooling (WDK RGB Lightning module is beta)

Supply method: Not measurable on-chain: RGB keeps balances off-chain between counterparties by design. Supply will only be known from issuer disclosures (Tether transparency / Utexo). refresh.py flags any new chain key in Tether's report.

Wallets: Tether WDK (developer kit)

USDB (Brale) on Spark

Brale (US-regulated issuer) · Spark (Bitcoin L2 by Lightspark, unilateral L1 exit) · 2025-09-05
Live on mainnet
$976,579

Live since 2025-09-05. Used as the dollar balance in Wallet of Satoshi (self-custody mode, disclosure v1.23, 2026-08-25) and Blink (non-custodial mode). BTC rewards up to 6% APY (3.5% base) funded by Flashnet, not by the issuer (announced 2026-01-21). Token is freezable (SparkScan: isFreezable=true).

How it works, pros, risks, sources

Spark is an off-chain Bitcoin L2: a set of operators co-signs transfers and the user always holds a pre-signed path to exit to L1. Spark tokens (BTKN) ride on the same structure. Brale issues USDB 1:1 against T-bills and cash; BTC<->USDB swaps go through Flashnet.

Keys: Self-custody on Spark (keys on device), Spark operators co-sign; unilateral exit to L1 possible.

Freeze: Yes. Brale may freeze, block, seize or burn USDB to comply with law (WoS disclosure s.8.6).

Asset ID: 3206c93b24a4d18ea19d0a9a213204af2c7e74a6d16c7535cc5d33eca4ad1eca (btkn1xgrvjwey5ngcagvap2dzzvsy4uk8ua9x69k82dwvt5e7ef9drm9qztux87)

Pros
  • Instant, near-zero-fee transfers
  • Self-custody with L1 exit
  • Regulated US issuer, T-bill reserves
  • Already in mass-market wallets (WoS, Blink)
Risks
  • Issuer can freeze/seize
  • Trust in the Spark operator set
  • Small supply (about $1M) means thin liquidity
  • Rewards are promotional and can end any time

Supply method: SparkScan public API: totalSupply / 10^decimals for the USDB token identifier.

Wallets: Wallet of Satoshi, Blink, Xverse

DePix (Brazilian real)

Eulen.app LLC · Liquid (production); Spark and Arkade (beta since 2026-09) · 2024-02-14
Live on mainnet
23,000,001 BRL

BRL stablecoin on Liquid, minted from Pix payments via operators. First issuance on Liquid 2024-02-14 (chain data). Since 2026-09-07 (Arkade) and 2026-09-09 (Spark) payouts also work there in beta; withdrawals to BRL stay on Liquid. Lightning Labs also named DePix among native Taproot Assets stablecoins (2025-06-24).

How it works, pros, risks, sources

Send a Pix to an authorised operator and DePix lands in your Liquid wallet. Swap to USDt or L-BTC on SideSwap; redeem to BRL via independent operators.

Keys: Self-custody in any Liquid wallet.

Freeze: Not documented for Liquid. Spark token reports isFreezable=false.

Asset ID: Liquid: 02f22f8d9c76ab41661a2729e4752e2c5d1a263012141b86ea98af5472df5189; Spark: btkn1sdqgp9904d620fmgs6p9669fghzfq06hvpqmy2wg8c9xtw4qms3qpf4aty

Pros
  • Local-currency stablecoin on Bitcoin rails
  • Pix on/off-ramp
  • Monthly proof of reserves (per issuer)
Risks
  • Issuer and operator risk
  • Lookalike 'DePix' assets exist (e.g. a depix.ink-registered asset on Liquid): verify the asset ID
  • Mainly useful in Brazil

Supply method: Blockstream esplora: issued_amount - burned_amount. This is total minted, an UPPER BOUND on circulation (issuer treasury not separated; no burns recorded). Spark: SparkScan totalSupply (also includes unsold issuer stock).

Wallets: SideSwap, AQUA (JAN3), Blockstream app (ex-Green)

Arkade Assets (Ark Labs)

Protocol (any issuer) · Arkade (Ark-based Bitcoin execution layer)
Live, beta

Asset framework announced 2025-10-21 ('active research and development'). Tether Investments joined Ark Labs' $5.2M round (2026-03-12) to accelerate stablecoin infrastructure, but Tether has not announced USDT issuance on Arkade. First stablecoin payouts on Arkade: DePix beta (2026-09-07).

How it works, pros, risks, sources

Ark batches many users' off-chain outputs (VTXOs) into one on-chain transaction. Arkade Assets attach token data (OP_RETURN 'ARK' packets) to those VTXOs, with 'teleports' to carry assets across batches.

Keys: Self-custody of VTXOs; Arkade operator co-signs; unilateral exit to L1.

Freeze: Issuer 'control assets' manage supply/metadata; freeze depends on issuer design.

Pros
  • Programmable (lending, AMMs on Bitcoin)
  • Self-custody with exit
Risks
  • Early stage; spec may change
  • Operator liveness

Supply method: No public explorer API for Arkade asset supply found.

Stable Channels

None (open-source, peer-to-peer) · Lightning (2-of-2 channel)
Live on mainnet

Open-source app (Android on Google Play, macOS/Linux builds; iOS not released as of 2026-10-10). You hold only BTC; a counterparty takes the opposite BTC exposure and you settle every few minutes over Lightning. Today the counterparty is the Stable Channels node.

How it works, pros, risks, sources

You choose how much of your balance should hold a dollar value. If BTC rises you pay sats to the provider; if it falls they pay you. Price = median of several exchange feeds. Conversion fee 1% (per site).

Keys: Full self-custody: funds in a 2-of-2 Lightning channel, keys on your device.

Freeze: No issuer, nothing to freeze. If the counterparty stops cooperating you close the channel and get BTC.

Pros
  • No stablecoin issuer, no freeze
  • Pure BTC, self-custody
Risks
  • Drift while your phone is offline
  • A BTC drop of more than ~50% can exhaust channel capacity
  • Single counterparty today
  • Small amounts (starts at $100)

Supply method: No token, no supply.

Wallets: Stable Channels app

Stablesats (Blink custodial Dollar Balance)

Blink · Lightning (custodial account), hedged with BTC derivatives
Live on mainnet

Custodial-mode Dollar Balance in Blink: BTC collateral plus perpetual inverse swaps keep a $1 value. In Blink's non-custodial mode the Dollar Balance is USDB on Spark instead. Not available in all jurisdictions.

How it works, pros, risks, sources

Blink keeps your 'dollars' as BTC and hedges the price with derivatives on an exchange.

Keys: Custodial (Blink holds funds).

Freeze: Custodian controls the account.

Pros
  • No stablecoin issuer
  • Instant Lightning UX
Risks
  • Custodial
  • Exchange counterparty and funding-rate risk

Supply method: Not published.

Wallets: Blink

DLC synthetic dollars (10101, historical)

- · Lightning + DLC channels
Shut down

10101 used Discreet Log Contracts to offer non-custodial BTC/USD positions and a synthetic dollar. It wound down in 2024 (positions expired 2024-11-03). We found no live consumer DLC-based synthetic dollar on Bitcoin as of 2026-10-10.

How it works, pros, risks, sources

A DLC locks BTC in a 2-of-2 output whose payout depends on an oracle's signed price, so the 'stable' side always gets about $X worth of BTC.

Keys: Self-custody (historical).

Freeze: -

Pros
  • Trust an oracle, not a custodian
Risks
  • Oracle risk, liquidity; product shut down

Supply method: n/a

USDh (Hermetica) - caveat

Hermetica · Stacks (Bitcoin-anchored L2); Runes deployment sunset 2026-05-15
Live on mainnet
1,984,388 USD (synthetic)

Marketed as a Bitcoin-backed synthetic dollar, but the August 2026 custodian attestation shows backing at that date was about $1.98M of STRCx (tokenized Strategy preferred stock) on Ethereum plus small reserves, with $0 at derivatives custodians. Listed for completeness; NOT counted as a Bitcoin-backed stable.

How it works, pros, risks, sources

Mint USDh against collateral; the protocol hedges and earns yield.

Keys: Token self-custody on Stacks; backing held by the protocol.

Freeze: Not checked.

Asset ID: SPN5AKG35QZSK2M8GAMR4AFX45659RJHDW353HSG.usdh-token-v1

Pros
  • Monthly custodian attestations
Risks
  • Backing moved away from BTC basis trades
  • Stacks security is not Bitcoin L1 security

Supply method: Hiro token-metadata API: total_supply / 10^decimals.

Side-by-side comparison

Discuss
OptionStatusWhere it livesBackingKeysFreezablePrivacySupply measurable
USDt on Liquid (L-USDt)Live on mainnetLiquid sidechainTether reservesYoursIssuer-controlled (details undocumented)Amounts hiddenYes (Tether report)
USDT on Omni LayerLegacy: minting stoppedBitcoin L1Tether reservesYoursYesPublicYes
USDT via Taproot Assets (Lightning)Status unverifiedL1 + LightningTether (announced) / wrapped by appsDepends on appNo protocol freezeOff-chain proofs, Lightning privacyNot yet (no official ID)
USDT on RGB (Utexo)Announced, not launchedL1 (Lightning later)Tether reserves via Utexo licenceYoursUTXO blacklist at gatewaysHigh (client-side)Only via issuer
USDB (Brale) on SparkLive on mainnetSpark L2T-bills + cash (Brale)Yours (+operators)YesOperators see transfersYes (SparkScan)
DePix (Brazilian real)Live on mainnetLiquid (+Spark/Arkade beta)BRL reserves (Eulen)YoursNot documentedAmounts hidden on LiquidMinted total only
Stable ChannelsLive on mainnetLightning channelBTC + counterparty hedgeYoursNoLightningNo token
Stablesats (Blink custodial Dollar Balance)Live on mainnetCustodial LightningBTC + derivatives hedgeBlinkCustodianCustodian sees allNot published

Timeline: 2014 → today

Discuss
  1. 2014-10-06
    First USDT created on Bitcoin via Omni Layer (property #31, block 324,140). api.omniexplorer.info ↗
  2. 2019-07-29
    Tether launches USDt on Blockstream's Liquid sidechain. tether.io ↗
  3. 2022-04
    Lightning Labs announces the protocol later named Taproot Assets, to bring stablecoins to Lightning. lightning.engineering ↗
  4. 2023-08-17
    Tether stops minting USDT on Omni and says it is contributing to RGB. tether.io ↗
  5. 2023-10-18
    Taproot Assets v0.3 brings asset issuance to Bitcoin mainnet (alpha). lightning.engineering ↗
  6. 2024-02-14
    First DePix (BRL) issuance on Liquid. blockstream.info ↗
  7. 2025-01-30
    Tether and Lightning Labs announce USDT on Bitcoin and Lightning via Taproot Assets (Plan B Forum, El Salvador). tether.io ↗
  8. 2025-08-28
    Tether announces USDT on RGB (RGB mainnet v0.11.1). tether.io ↗
  9. 2025-09-05
    Brale's USDB goes live on Spark. spark.money ↗
  10. 2025-10-21
    Ark Labs introduces Arkade Assets. blog.arklabs.xyz ↗
  11. 2025-12-16
    Taproot Assets v0.7: auditable supply commitments, static addresses. lightning.engineering ↗
  12. 2026-03-06
    Utexo raises a $7.5M seed co-led by Tether for USDT on Bitcoin (RGB). theblock.co ↗
  13. 2026-03-12
    Tether invests in Ark Labs ($5.2M round). tether.io ↗
  14. 2026-04-14
    Tether launches tether.wallet (BTC on-chain + Lightning; USDT only on EVM chains). tether.io ↗
  15. 2026-06-23
    Taproot Assets v0.8 and SDK released. lightning.engineering ↗
  16. 2026-09-07
    DePix payouts on Arkade (beta); Spark follows on 2026-09-09. eulen.app ↗
  17. 2026-09-24
    Paolo Ardoino: 'USDT on Bitcoin. It's coming home'. x.com ↗
  18. 2026-10
    Utexo targets USDT issuance on Bitcoin mainnet via RGB (no exact date yet). coindesk.com ↗

Wallets

Discuss
AQUA (JAN3) ↗Self-custody
iOS, Android
USDt-LiquidDePix

USDt native on Liquid; send/receive USDt on Ethereum, Polygon, Tron, Solana, BNB via built-in swap providers (help centre, updated 2026-10-09).

SideSwap ↗Self-custody
iOS, Android, desktop
USDt-LiquidDePixL-BTC

Liquid wallet with a built-in atomic-swap DEX.

Blockstream app (ex-Green) ↗Self-custody
iOS, Android, desktop
USDt-LiquidDePix

Full Liquid support; recommended by DePix.

Bitfinex (exchange) ↗Custodial
web, mobile
USDt-Liquid deposit/withdraw

Liquid USDt deposits/withdrawals reported working again on 2026-09-11; L-BTC paused.

Wallet of Satoshi ↗self (Spark) / custodial (some regions)
iOS, Android
USDB-Spark

Stablecoin = USDB on Spark (self-custody mode). Not USDT. WoS neither issues nor redeems USDB.

Blink ↗Self + custodial
iOS, Android
Stablesats (custodial)USDB-Spark (non-custodial)

Dollar Balance: Stablesats in custodial mode, USDB on Spark in non-custodial mode.

Xverse ↗Self-custody
iOS, Android, extension
USDB-Spark

Listed by Spark as a USDB trading venue (2026-01-21).

Speed Wallet ↗Custodial
iOS, Android, web
USDT-L (Taproot Assets, wrapped by Speed)

USDT-L is Speed's own wrapped USDT, backed by Ethereum USDT in multisig (per Speed, 2024). Not Tether-issued. Current status not re-verified.

LnFi ↗Varies
web
Taproot Assets stablecoins

Named by Lightning Labs (2025-06-24) among apps with bridged/native stablecoins on Taproot Assets.

Joltz ↗Self-custody
iOS (unverified)
Taproot Assets stablecoins

Named by Lightning Labs (2025-06-24). Current availability not verified.

tether.wallet ↗Self-custody
iOS, Android
BTC on-chain + LightningUSDT on Ethereum/Polygon/Plasma/Arbitrum

Tether's own wallet (2026-04-14). As of 2026-10-10 it does NOT offer USDT on any Bitcoin layer, only BTC itself on-chain and via Lightning.

Tether WDK (developer kit) ↗Self-custody
SDK
RGB on-chain moduleRGB Lightning module (beta)

Utexo-built RGB modules for wallets on Tether's WDK (on-chain since Feb 2026; Lightning module in beta).

Stable Channels app ↗Self-custody
Android, macOS, Linux
Synthetic USD (BTC only)

iOS not released yet.

Risks

Discuss

Issuer and reserves

A fiat-backed stablecoin is an IOU. Its value depends on the issuer's reserves, solvency and willingness to redeem. Bitcoin rails do not change that.

Freezes and blacklists

Tether says it has supported nearly $550M of Iran-linked USDT freezes (2026-09-28). On Omni and Spark the token itself is freezable; on RGB the plan is a UTXO blacklist enforced by exchanges and bridges. Self-custody does not make an issuer-backed token censorship-proof.

tether.io ↗

Fake tokens with real names

On Liquid, Taproot Assets and Spark anyone can name a token 'USDT' or 'DePix'. We found many 'USDT' assets in the Lightning Labs universe and lookalike 'USDt'/'DePix' entries in the Liquid asset registry. Only trust the asset ID / group key published by the issuer.

Verified IDs published by the issuers:
USDt on Liquid (L-USDt)ce091c998b83c78bb71a632313ba3760f1763d9cfcffae02258ffa9865a37bd2
USDB (Brale) on Spark3206c93b24a4d18ea19d0a9a213204af2c7e74a6d16c7535cc5d33eca4ad1eca (btkn1xgrvjwey5ngcagvap2dzzvsy4uk8ua9x69k82dwvt5e7ef9drm9qztux87)
DePix (Brazilian real) · Liquid02f22f8d9c76ab41661a2729e4752e2c5d1a263012141b86ea98af5472df5189
DePix (Brazilian real) · Sparkbtkn1sdqgp9904d620fmgs6p9669fghzfq06hvpqmy2wg8c9xtw4qms3qpf4aty
USDh (Hermetica) - caveatSPN5AKG35QZSK2M8GAMR4AFX45659RJHDW353HSG.usdh-token-v1

Each layer has its own trust model

Liquid relies on a federation; Spark and Ark on operators (with unilateral exit); Lightning on channel partners and liquidity; RGB and Taproot Assets on you keeping proofs and backups.

Synthetic-dollar risks

Synthetic dollars avoid issuers but depend on a counterparty, a price feed or exchange hedges, and can drift in fast markets.

How to hold dollars in a Bitcoin wallet

Discuss
  1. 1

    Pick a rail

    What works today: USDt on Liquid (Aqua, SideSwap, Blockstream app) or USDB on Spark (Wallet of Satoshi, Blink). Want no issuer at all? Stable Channels.

  2. 2

    Install and back up

    Write the recovery phrase on paper. For RGB / Taproot Assets wallets also back up the wallet data: the proofs live with you.

  3. 3

    Verify the asset

    Check the asset ID: L-USDt = ce091c99...a37bd2 (Liquid, entity tether.to); USDB = btkn1xgrvjwey5... (Spark); DePix = 02f22f8d...df5189 (Liquid).

  4. 4

    Fund it

    Swap BTC / L-BTC to the stablecoin inside the wallet (SideSwap, Aqua, Flashnet in WoS), or bring USDT from Tron/Ethereum through the wallet's swap provider (Aqua; WoS converts imports to USDB). Double-check the network before sending.

  5. 5

    Send and receive

    Liquid: ~1-minute blocks, fee in L-BTC. Spark: instant, near-zero fee. Lightning-based assets: pay with normal invoices.

  6. 6

    Have an exit plan

    Know how you get back to BTC or bank money: swap in-wallet, withdraw via Bitfinex (Liquid USDt), redeem with the issuer (KYC with Tether/Brale), or close the channel (Stable Channels).

FAQ and glossary

Discuss
Is USDT on Bitcoin live right now?

Yes on Liquid (since 2019), plus a legacy remnant on Omni. Native USDT via RGB is expected in October 2026 (Utexo, no date yet). Tether USDT on Taproot Assets was announced in January 2025; some media say it went live in March 2026, but neither Tether nor Lightning Labs has confirmed it in any primary source we could find.

How much USDT is actually on Bitcoin layers?

See the live counter: Tether's own report gives Liquid and Omni circulating supply. Together it is well under 1% of all USDT.

Can my stablecoin on Bitcoin be frozen?

Issuer-backed ones, in practice yes: at token level (Omni, USDB on Spark) or by refusing redemption and blacklisting outputs (the RGB plan). Only issuer-free synthetic dollars (Stable Channels) avoid this, at the cost of other risks.

Does Wallet of Satoshi support USDT?

Its stablecoin is USDB (Brale) on Spark, not USDT. Per its disclosure, Wallet of Satoshi neither issues nor redeems USDB.

Does Tether's own wallet hold USDT on Bitcoin?

Not as of 2026-10-10: tether.wallet supports BTC on-chain and via Lightning, and USDT on Ethereum, Polygon, Plasma and Arbitrum.

Why put stablecoins on Bitcoin at all?

One wallet for savings (BTC) and spending (dollars), Lightning-speed payments, and BTC<->USD swaps without leaving Bitcoin. Critics worry about issuer control and extra load on Bitcoin; most designs here keep data off-chain.

How do I avoid fake tokens?

Compare the asset ID / group key / Spark token address with the issuer's official site. Names and tickers mean nothing.

Is a synthetic dollar the same as a stablecoin?

No. You still hold BTC; a counterparty or a hedge pays the difference so the value stays near $1.

Glossary

Taproot Assets
Lightning Labs protocol that embeds assets in Taproot outputs of Bitcoin transactions and moves them over Lightning.
RGB
Client-side-validated asset protocol: Bitcoin holds only commitments; owners keep and validate the history.
Client-side validation
Each receiver checks a token's history themselves instead of every node checking every transfer.
Liquid
Federated Bitcoin sidechain by Blockstream with confidential transactions and issued assets.
L-BTC
Bitcoin pegged into Liquid; pays Liquid fees.
Omni Layer
Meta-protocol that writes token data into Bitcoin transactions; first home of USDT (2014).
Spark
Bitcoin L2 by Lightspark: off-chain transfers co-signed by operators, unilateral exit to L1, native tokens (BTKN).
Ark / Arkade
L2 that batches users' off-chain outputs (VTXOs) into shared on-chain transactions; Arkade is Ark Labs' implementation.
VTXO
Virtual UTXO in Ark: an off-chain output you can always exit on-chain.
RFQ / edge node
Request for quote: Lightning nodes at the network edge quote BTC<->asset rates so a payment can switch currency along the route.
Group key
Taproot Assets identifier tying all issuances of one asset together; the one to check for authenticity.
Supply commitment
On-chain Taproot output committing to an asset's issued/burned totals (Taproot Assets v0.7+).
DLC
Discreet Log Contract: a BTC contract settled by an oracle's signature.
Synthetic dollar
A dollar-valued position built from BTC plus a hedge, not a token redeemable with an issuer.
Quarantined (Tether)
Line in Tether's transparency report for tokens frozen/isolated on a chain.
WDK
Tether's open-source Wallet Development Kit; hosts the RGB modules.

Method, sources and what we could not confirm

Discuss

Every status and date comes from the issuer's or protocol's own site/release unless marked 'secondary'. Supply figures are fetched live by refresh.py from the URLs listed per project; nothing is estimated.

Unverified claims (7)

Claims circulating in media or on social networks that we could not confirm from a primary source. We show them so you know we looked.

  • Tether-issued USDT live on Taproot Assets since 2026-03-21: media only (Forbes; btc.network, AI-assisted; LiveBitcoinNews). No Tether/Lightning Labs primary source; no Taproot line in Tether transparency.
  • Exact Utexo/RGB USDT launch date (only 'October 2026', per CoinDesk).
  • Utexo talks with Morgan Stanley: only an X post by Utexo's co-founder (2026-09-24).
  • Whether Tether can freeze individual Liquid USDt outputs.
  • Current status of Speed's USDT-L and availability of Joltz.
  • DePix monthly proof of reserves: claimed on depix.info; reports not reviewed.
  • Boltz USDT swaps Lightning<->Arbitrum (2026-03-18) and Tether's $8M Speed investment (Dec 2025): secondary sources only; not used in content.
Deliberately not included (3)
  • USDH (Native Markets, Hyperliquid): Hyperliquid stablecoin: not on a Bitcoin layer and not Bitcoin-backed.
  • Bridged USDT / USDT0 on BTC-branded EVM chains: EVM chains with their own validators; outside the scope of 'on Bitcoin'.
  • Other Liquid registry tokens (Mexas MEX, L-BRL, PEGx EURx, Bull Bitcoin LCAD...): Present in the Blockstream asset registry, but issuer activity/reserves not verifiable from primary sources in this pass.

Not investment advice. Stablecoins carry issuer, legal and technical risks. Content checked: 2026-10-10. New to Bitcoin? Start here →