USDT is a USD‑denominated stablecoin issued by Tether. Since launching in 2014, it has become the largest stablecoin in the world, with a market cap over $150 billion and daily trading volumes that rival Bitcoin. Each token is designed to be worth one U.S. dollar. USDT circulates on multiple blockchains, including Polygon, and has become a major token for onchain trading and, increasingly, everyday payments in emerging markets.
Why USDT matters
Better banking rails: Emerging markets are adopting stablecoins at an accelerated rate. For example, of the $200 billion in onchain activity across Sub‑Saharan Africa, 43% was in stablecoin. In LatAm, where access to financial institutions isn’t a given, people are turning to stablecoins as an alternative to directly participate in the global economy. Small importers frequently buy goods overseas by acquiring USDT and paying suppliers directly
A dominant trading pair: Between June 2024 and June 2025, USDT processed roughly $703 billion per month, with $1.01 trillion in June 2025. Its massive liquidity makes USDT the base pair for most crypto trades, reducing slippage and enabling deep liquidity on both centralized and decentralized exchanges.
A store of value: When local currencies collapse, USDT acts as a digital dollar. Citizens in countries with high inflation rates convert wages into USDT to escape devaluation. In Bolivia, for example, crypto transactions totalled $430 million between June 2024 and June 2025, with much of this volume in USDT. Mobile wallets using USDT allow families to receive remittances from abroad, helping the country capture the billions in remittance flows.
USDT on Polygon
Polygon offers a high‑performance home for USDT. Blocks settle in about two seconds, and typical transfers cost less than a cent. Polygon’s throughput (~1,400+ TPS) and planned upgrades toward 5,000 TPS provide the scale needed for real‑time commerce.
Because USDT exists natively on Polygon, users can send the token without relying on bridges. Near‑instant finality makes it suitable for merchants, micropayments and cross‑border remittances, while its deep liquidity on Polygon’s decentralized exchanges enables efficient swaps into local‑currency stablecoins.
Use cases: USDT on Polygon
- Cross‑border payments & remittances: USDT enables migrant workers to send money home in seconds with negligible fees. Polygon’s speed and cost efficiency make micro‑remittances viable.
- Merchant payments: In high‑inflation economies, shops and online merchants accept USDT as a stable means of exchange. Polygon’s low fees ensure point‑of‑sale transactions remain profitable even for small purchases.
- Commodity & invoice settlement: Businesses use USDT to pay suppliers across borders without touching traditional banking rails, reducing settlement times from days to seconds and avoiding FX spreads.
- Trading & liquidity: With hundreds of billions in monthly volume, USDT is the most liquid trading pair on exchanges. On Polygon, deep USDT liquidity across decentralized exchanges offers tight spreads and reliable execution.
- Savings & hedging: In countries with double‑digit inflation, families hold USDT as a digital dollar to preserve purchasing power. Polygon wallets make it easy to earn yield or swap into other assets when needed.
Build a payments solution on Polygon
USDT gives builders a stable, high‑liquidity digital dollar that works at internet speed. Polygon makes those transfers cheap and scalable. Combining the two enables instant, low‑cost payments and remittances worldwide. Ready to build? Explore Polygon’s developer documentation and integrate USDT into your application to serve a global audience.
