USDT was launched by Tether in 2014 under the original name Realcoin.
Realcoin was renamed Tether before the token became widely known as USDT. It was designed as a stablecoin, a cryptocurrency intended to track the value of a reference asset. USDT’s reference asset is the United States dollar, so it is commonly described as a dollar-pegged token.
Unlike native coins such as bitcoin, USDT has been issued on several blockchains, including Ethereum, Tron, and Solana. This multi-chain structure means that USDT addresses and fees depend on the network being used.
USDT is often confused with USDC, another dollar-referenced stablecoin issued by Circle. A stablecoin’s target value is not the same as a guaranteed market price; trading conditions, reserves, and redemption arrangements can affect its price.