Ethereum continues to hold a commanding position in the stablecoin market, maintaining 52.59% of the total stablecoin supply, despite rising competition from other blockchain networks like TRON and Solana. As the leading smart contract platform, Ethereum’s dominance is evident in both the supply and turnover of stablecoins like Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), and various algorithmic stablecoins.
Stablecoin supply has reached an all-time high, with over $174.7 billion locked in stablecoins, and Ethereum plays a pivotal role in this growth. The bulk of this liquidity is tied to USDT and USDC, with USDT alone accounting for more than $129 billion in supply. Tether’s ability to maintain its dominance is underscored by its recent decision to move $2 billion worth of USDT tokens across chains, burning them on less active networks to boost reserves of the ERC-20 version. This shows that even amidst growing interest in stablecoin mints on other chains, Ethereum’s version of USDT remains irreplaceable due to its wide adoption.
A key factor in Ethereum’s dominance is the high turnover rate of the ERC-20 USDT, which sees daily turnover of 114% of its total supply, increasing even more during peak trading periods. This suggests that Ethereum’s USDT plays a crucial role in facilitating liquidity and transfers, especially on centralized exchanges (CEX), where high trading volumes are common. Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, relies heavily on the ERC-20 USDT version, which has a broad selection of trading pairs, making it indispensable for many trading activities.
In addition to USDT, Ethereum also holds a significant share of USDC, with over $27 billion in supply across 2.4 million holders. USDC is becoming increasingly important due to its transparent reserves, with particular adoption in regions like Europe, where regulatory standards are stricter. Ethereum’s ability to carry such a large volume of USDC further solidifies its position as the dominant blockchain for stablecoin liquidity.
Despite this, Ethereum’s stablecoin liquidity remains concentrated on its Layer 1 (L1) network, where stablecoin transfers are essential for smart contract operations. Although networks like TRON and Solana have gained traction for high-speed payments and lower transaction fees, Ethereum’s ERC-20 USDT remains essential for liquidity across decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and other applications. In fact, Ethereum’s stablecoin supply is crucial to its DeFi sector, with more than $59 billion locked in various DeFi protocols on the network.
Tether’s ERC-20 version also burns a significant amount of gas on Ethereum, accounting for over 6% of Ethereum’s daily gas usage. This makes Tether one of the top producers of fees on the network, highlighting its central role in Ethereum’s ecosystem. On average, Tether generates $285K in daily gas fees and $13.37 million in daily protocol fees, demonstrating the scale at which stablecoins facilitate on-chain transactions.
While Ethereum maintains a lead, it faces increasing competition, especially from the TRON blockchain, where USDT transactions are primarily used for payments between wallets, particularly in the $10-100K range. In contrast, Ethereum’s USDT is used more for transfers between protocols and smart contract settlements, making its role in liquidity provision unique.
Despite the stablecoin liquidity boom on Ethereum, the price of Ether (ETH) has remained relatively suppressed, trading under $3,100, while Bitcoin (BTC) continues to soar, hovering near its all-time peak of over $94,000. This price disparity is a reminder that while Ethereum’s stablecoin dominance is undeniable, its native token, ETH, has not benefited as much from the influx of liquidity as many might expect.
In conclusion, Ethereum’s dominance in the stablecoin market is unlikely to be challenged in the near future. With more than 52% of the stablecoin supply residing on its blockchain, Ethereum remains the backbone of stablecoin liquidity, essential for DeFi, centralized exchanges, and cross-chain transfers. While the Ethereum network continues to face competition from other blockchain ecosystems, its stablecoin liquidity, particularly USDT and USDC, ensures its central role in the broader cryptocurrency landscape.
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