Tether has announced the integration of its USDT stablecoin into the Bitcoin ecosystem, including both the base layer and the Lightning Network, according to a statement released during the Plan Forum in El Salvador.
This integration is based on Lightning Labs’ Taproot Assets protocol, enabling greater transaction efficiency without compromising the security and decentralization of Bitcoin, and opening up new use cases in digital payments.
This expansion targets more than 350 million users, with a focus on emerging sectors such as the AI-driven economy, remittances, and cross-border payments.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino confirmed that this integration enhances the core principles of Bitcoin and creates practical solutions for financial applications that require speed and reliability.
For her part, Lightning Labs CEO Elizabeth Stark described the move as combining the security and decentralization of Bitcoin with the efficiency and speed of the Lightning Network.
USDT maintains a market cap of $140 billion as of January 2025 and is available across more than 80 global blockchains.
Tether currently offers extremely low transaction fees, especially on networks like Tron and Solana, which have fees of less than a cent.
According to the announcement post, Tether and Lightning Labs are continuing to collaborate to facilitate the adoption of this integration among developers and users, expanding Bitcoin’s role beyond just a store of value and enhancing the currency’s use in fast cross-border payments.
https://i0.wp.com/arab-btc.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/%D9%A3-1.webp?fit=800%2C420&ssl=1
