stablecoin
A cryptocurrency designed to maintain a stable value, usually pegged to a real currency.
A stablecoin is a digital currency that aims to hold a constant value by being backed by or linked to something stable, most commonly the US dollar. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, which fluctuate wildly in price, stablecoins are meant to stay around $1 (or whatever they’re pegged to) so they can function more like actual money for payments and savings.
Stablecoins exist because cryptocurrencies are too volatile for everyday use—nobody wants their rent payment to suddenly be worth half as much. They’re typically backed by reserves (cash or bonds held by the issuer) or by algorithms that adjust supply to maintain the price. When you see stablecoins mentioned in headlines, it usually involves questions about whether they’re truly backed by what they claim, their role in crypto trading, or regulatory concerns about who controls these digital dollars.
Stories mentioning this
- Conduit Sues Tether Over $2.76 Million in Frozen USDT Tied to Brazilian Probe
- Paxos' USDG Stablecoin Launches on Arbitrum, DAO Proposes 100 Million ARB in Incentives
- 50,000-Signature Campaign and Circle Push EU to Loosen MiCA Stablecoin Rules in Review
- Standard Chartered Sets $2 Price Target for ENA, Forecasts USDe Will Hit $40 Billion by…
- Tether Says It Helped Freeze Nearly $550 Million in Iran-Linked USDT as Senate Report…
- Week in Bytes
- Fed Proposes Capital Charges and Bank Approval Rules for Stablecoin Issuers
- Market Wrap
- Market Wrap
- HIFI raises $37M Series A led by Left Lane Capital for stablecoin payments and…
- Stablecoin Payments Firm dtcpay Closes $25 Million Series A Led by SBI Group
- World Launches ‘World Money’ Super App With Stablecoins, Stripe and Kalshi Integrations
- U.S. Bank Pilots Proprietary Stablecoin USBDC in Cross-Border Transfer on Stellar
- Visa Expands Data Offering to Help Blockchain Lenders Finance Stablecoin Cards
- Market Wrap
- SoFi and Kraken Parent Payward Link Banking and Crypto Infrastructure in New Deal
- Market Wrap
- Market Wrap
- Citi, Goldman Sachs, BofA and 18 Other Institutions Plan Joint Stablecoin Venture
- Bitwise's Rasmussen says Circle is mispriced as stablecoins approach trillions in value
Written once as a plain-English reference, not as advice. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell anything.