Tether introduced it’ll discontinue assist for its USDT stablecoin on 5 “legacy” blockchains, together with Omni Layer, Bitcoin Money SLP, Kusama, EOS, and Algorand.
In accordance with the July 11 announcement, the transfer will turn into efficient Sept. 1, ending redemptions and freezing remaining tokens on these networks.
The choice comes as a part of what the corporate known as an “infrastructure optimization” technique, aiming to align with shifting group utilization developments and refocus assets towards extra energetic and scalable blockchains.
The transfer finalizes a phased withdrawal that started over the previous two years. In 2023, Tether halted minting on Bitcoin Money, Kusama, and Omni Layer and ended minting on Algorand and EOS (not too long ago rebranded as Vaulta) final June.
Till now, nevertheless, it had continued to redeem tokens on these networks.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated:
“Because the digital asset ecosystem evolves, Tether stays dedicated to adapting alongside it. Sunsetting assist for these legacy chains permits us to deal with platforms that provide larger scalability, developer exercise, and group engagement, all key elements for driving the following wave of stablecoin adoption.”
Tether emphasised that the 5 blockchains have been instrumental in its early growth however have seen a steep decline in USDT utilization and buying and selling quantity lately. USDT stays the most important stablecoin in crypto with a market capitalization nearing $160 billion.
The corporate stated it’ll prioritize rising Layer 2 networks, such because the Lightning Community, and different high-utility chains to boost interoperability, transaction pace, and ecosystem development.
Tether suggested clients to redeem their USDT holdings on the affected blockchains or request issuance on supported networks earlier than the September cutoff. Holders indirectly served by Tether can migrate by means of third-party service suppliers.
The stablecoin issuer added that it’ll proceed exploring new integrations to broaden USDT accessibility globally and strengthen its infrastructure to satisfy evolving market calls for.