Tether Expands USAT to Celo – Here Is Why the U.S.-Compliant Stablecoin Is Growing

• Tether has launched its U.S.-compliant USAT stablecoin on the Celo network, marking its second mainnet deployment after Ethereum.
• USAT users can mint, burn, and pay gas fees directly with the stablecoin on Celo.
• The expansion builds on Celo’s growing stablecoin ecosystem, where USDT has already become one of the network’s most widely used assets.

Tether has expanded its U.S.-compliant USAT stablecoin to the Celo blockchain, continuing its push to broaden access to regulated digital dollars across multiple blockchain networks.

The launch marks USAT’s second mainnet deployment, following its debut on Ethereum, and gives users the ability to mint and redeem the stablecoin natively while also using it to pay transaction fees on the Celo network.

The rollout follows plans announced earlier this year and further strengthens Tether’s presence within Celo’s rapidly growing stablecoin ecosystem.

USAT Gains Native Support on Celo

With the integration now live, USAT supports native minting and burning directly on Celo.

Thanks to Celo’s CIP-64 upgrade, users can also pay blockchain transaction fees using ERC-20 tokens, including USAT, rather than relying solely on the network’s native token.

According to Tether US CEO Bo Hines, the company selected Celo because of its established digital payments ecosystem and the large number of users already transacting on the network each day.

Celo Continues Expanding Stablecoin Adoption

Tether said Celo has become one of the strongest distribution networks for its flagship USDT stablecoin.

According to the company, Celo accounts for 28% of cross-chain USDT transfers and also maintains more than 90% market share for XAUt0, the omnichain version of Tether Gold.

Tether’s data shows approximately $470 million in authorized USDT on Celo, although circulating supply estimates vary depending on the data provider.

USAT Targets U.S. Regulatory Compliance

Launched in January 2026, USAT was designed to comply with the GENIUS Act, the United States’ stablecoin regulatory framework.

The stablecoin maintains 1:1 backing with cash or high-quality liquid assets such as U.S. Treasuries and is issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, the first federally chartered crypto-native bank regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

Although USAT currently has a market capitalization of roughly $185 million, it remains significantly smaller than USDT, whose market value exceeds $180 billion.

Celo Strengthens Its Blockchain Ecosystem

Originally launched as a mobile-focused Layer 1 blockchain, Celo transitioned to an Ethereum Layer 2 built on the OP Stack in March 2025, improving scalability, interoperability, and network security while maintaining low transaction costs.

The ecosystem has continued expanding through new partnerships, including Opera’s self-custodial stablecoin wallet, which was launched with support from Tether and has reportedly onboarded more than 18 million users worldwide.

As demand for regulated stablecoins continues to rise, Tether’s expansion of USAT to Celo signals growing competition in the market for compliant digital dollar payment solutions.

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