📅 July 15, 2025 | New York, USA
Today, the world's most famous—and controversial—stablecoin took a key step toward fully immersing itself in Bitcoin's infrastructure. As revealed by The Block, Tether launched a cross-chain version of its USDT that already integrates with Rootstock, one of Bitcoin's leading Layer 2 solutions. With this move, Tether expands its dominance beyond Ethereum, Tron, and Solana and reinforces the narrative that stable liquidity is moving into the Bitcoin ecosystem. For traders, developers, and maximalists, this move marks a milestone: BTC's Layer 2 is becoming increasingly useful, more interoperable, and more attractive for DeFi applications and global payments.
Tether (USDT) has reigned as the world's largest stablecoin capitalization for years, surpassing $110 billion in circulation. Its success lies in being the lifeblood of exchanges, DeFi, remittances, and global arbitrage. Until now, its strength has been concentrated on blockchains like Ethereum and Tron, but the new integration with Rootstock (RSK) opens a huge door: putting stable liquidity directly into the Bitcoin network, through a smart layer 2 compatible with EVM contracts.
Rootstock was born as a way to bring smart contracts to Bitcoin without sacrificing its underlying security. Its community has quietly grown in Latin America and Africa, where the combination of cheap payments and Bitcoin security is compelling. Now, with USDT running cross-chain, new possibilities are unlocked: from lending and staking on Bitcoin to micropayments, remittances, and instant liquidity for dApps.
According to The Block, the Tether team worked for months with Rootstock developers to design a version of USDT that can move between chains frictionlessly, using secure bridges and audited validators. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated: “Bitcoin is the backbone of the crypto system. Integrating USDT directly into its Layer 2 brings stable liquidity to the most secure network in the world.”
Bitcoin proponents see this as a strategic step to compete with Ethereum's DeFi. By enabling trustless stablecoins within Rootstock, the product menu expands: BTC-collateralized loans, native liquidity pools, and instant payments without relying on centralized layers.
It's not all celebration. Critics point out that Rootstock has yet to achieve the mass adoption of Ethereum or Tron, and that the security of cross-chain bridges remains one of the crypto industry's most vulnerable points. Hacks like those of Ronin or Poly Network are still fresh in memory. However, Tether's move is seen as a long-term bet: to consolidate its dominance as a universal stablecoin, regardless of the chain.
On Telegram, Discord, and Twitter/X, the community is already speculating: Who's next? USDC? DAI? A regional competitor? The truth is, liquidity is becoming fragmented: it's not enough to be big on Ethereum; now you have to be everywhere... even on Bitcoin.
Topic Opinion:
I welcome every attempt to bring stable liquidity to more layers and more blockchains. Bitcoin was always seen as digital gold, but its layer 2s—like Rootstock or Lightning—are showing that BTC can also be the basis for agile payments, DeFi, and global remittances. Tether understood the message: it's not enough to dominate Ethereum or Tron; you have to be where the demand is, and Bitcoin remains king.
💬Do you think Tether will really consolidate Rootstock as Bitcoin's favorite layer 2 ? Is this the key to a real explosion in BTC DeFi?
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