Ethereum may be on the verge of losing its stablecoin dominance to cheaper, faster networks, particularly as Tron accelerates its adoption in the crypto ecosystem.
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Tether minted $1B USDT on Tron, narrowing the gap with Ethereum in stablecoin dominance.
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Tron’s low fees and high volume may push it ahead of Ethereum in the USDT ecosystem.
Tether [USDT] has minted another massive $1 billion in USDT – this time on the Tron [TRX] network – facilitating fresh debate over whether Ethereum’s long-held dominance in the stablecoin ecosystem is finally slipping.
As Tron continues to attract high-volume transactions with lower fees and faster speeds, could this latest move signal a shift in power that puts Ethereum’s [ETH] supremacy at risk?
Source: Arkham
Is stablecoin momentum shifting away from Ethereum?
After years of Ethereum dominance, the latest data shows Tron is rapidly catching up in total USDT supply and may be on the verge of overtaking. As of May 2025, Ethereum hosts approximately $74.5 billion in USDT, but Tron is nearly neck-and-neck, just a fraction below.
Source: CryptoQuant
The chart reveals Tron’s relentless rise since early 2022, steadily eating into Ethereum’s lead. Ethereum’s USDT supply, by contrast, has plateaued and even dipped slightly in recent months. With Tether’s latest $1 billion mint on Tron, the network appears poised to finally flip Ethereum in the stablecoin hierarchy.
Tron: 9 million and counting
Tron’s transaction trend is accelerating!
Source: TronScan
Over the past year, daily transaction counts have increased steadily, rising from around 6 million to consistently exceeding nine million, with occasional spikes nearing eleven million. Since January 2025, this growth has accelerated, indicating rising utility and adoption. This sustained high volume reinforces TRX’s position as the leading network for stablecoin transactions, particularly for USDT transfers.
Is Ethereum losing the stablecoin race?
Ethereum’s high gas fees are creating a competitive disadvantage for the network. For stablecoin issuers like Tether and everyday users, the cost of minting, transferring, and interacting with USDT on Ethereum remains much higher than on Tron. As a result, issuers are choosing cheaper networks, and users are following liquidity and efficiency. Unless Ethereum significantly improves scalability and reduces costs beyond Layer 2 solutions, it risks being overtaken by faster, more affordable alternatives.
Conclusion
This shifting landscape indicates that Ethereum may need to rethink its operational strategies to maintain its edge in the stablecoin market. As more users gravitate towards the benefits of lower fees and faster transactions on networks like Tron, Ethereum’s current model must evolve or face the consequences of declining market share.
