- Tether announces plans to launch USDT on RGB for Bitcoin.
- RGB v0.11.1 mainnet enables private asset issuance and wallet support for USDT and BTC.
Tether plans USDT launch on RGB following mainnet v0.11.1
Tether said on August 28, 2025 that it plans to launch USD₮ on RGB, a protocol that issues and manages digital assets on Bitcoin. The company framed the initiative as a route to native stablecoin transactions within the Bitcoin ecosystem.
RGB reached mainnet with version 0.11.1 earlier this year, positioning the protocol to support private and scalable asset issuance on top of Bitcoin.
In its announcement, Tether highlighted that users would be able to hold and transfer USD₮ alongside Bitcoin in the same wallet. The company also pointed to lightweight payments and the ability to send and receive value offline as intended features of the RGB deployment.
While timelines and specific wallet integrations were not disclosed, the firm described the move as expanding stablecoin functionality on Bitcoin without altering the base layer.
RGB uses client-side validation and Lightning to enable private asset transfers
RGB operates using client-side validation, a design in which transaction data for issued assets is kept off-chain by the transacting parties. The Bitcoin blockchain stores only cryptographic commitments, which act as timestamps and anti-double-spend anchors for those assets.
This approach aims to preserve Bitcoin’s security model while reducing chain congestion and improving privacy for asset movements.
Tether today announced plans to launch USDT on the RGB protocol, providing the possibility for stablecoins to exist natively on Bitcoin. RGB recently released its 0.11.1 mainnet version, aimed at expanding Bitcoin's functionality. https://t.co/9LUPs8rlIp
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) August 28, 2025
The protocol is designed to work with the Lightning Network and the Bitcoin UTXO model. By separating asset data from base-layer transactions and leveraging Lightning payment channels, RGB targets faster settlement and lower costs for users transacting issued assets such as stablecoins.
No consensus changes to Bitcoin are required for RGB to function, which means adoption can proceed through compatible wallets and infrastructure.
For Bitcoin users and service providers, a USDT implementation on RGB would concentrate activity in wallets that can manage both BTC and USD₮ balances. Payment flows could blend on-chain commitments with Lightning routing for day-to-day transactions, depending on fee conditions and channel liquidity.
The model differs from inscription-based approaches because asset state is not embedded directly in transaction witness data, and it relies instead on cryptographic proofs exchanged off-chain.
The move extends Tether’s network coverage to the Bitcoin stack alongside existing deployments on multiple chains. If integrated by major wallet providers and exchanges, an RGB-based USD₮ could bring dollar-denominated settlement closer to Bitcoin’s native rails while keeping asset metadata off the base chain.
Market impact will depend on the breadth of wallet support, liquidity on Lightning, and how custodians and payment processors bridge between existing USDT rails and RGB.
USDT remains pegged at exactly $1.00, with no significant change (±0.00%) over the last day, as reported by both TradingView and Coinbase.
