USDT: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Dominates Crypto Trading

When you trade crypto, you’re likely using USDT, a stablecoin issued by Tether that holds a 1:1 peg with the US dollar. Also known as Tether, it’s the bridge between volatile crypto and real-world money. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, USDT doesn’t swing up or down—it stays at $1. That’s why traders use it to lock in profits, avoid crashes, or move fast between exchanges without cashing out to bank accounts.

USDT runs on multiple blockchains like Ethereum, Tron, and Binance Smart Chain, which is why you see it in so many airdrops and DEX trades. It’s not a coin you hold for growth—it’s the liquidity backbone of crypto. When OpenDAO (SOS) or APENFT drops tokens, they’re often distributed in USDT. When you trade on MEXC or MDEX, you’re probably swapping USDT for altcoins. Even when privacy coins get delisted, traders still use USDT to move value quietly across borders. Iran uses Bitcoin mining to bypass sanctions, but they still need USDT to turn that mined crypto into usable cash.

It’s not perfect. Critics point to Tether’s opaque reserves and past legal trouble. But in practice, USDT works. It’s the default stablecoin for over 80% of crypto trades. You won’t find a major exchange that doesn’t support it. Even in places like Algeria or Taiwan, where crypto is restricted, USDT is still traded on the ground. It’s the silent engine behind every DeFi yield farm, every NFT auction, every scammy airdrop site claiming you can "claim free USDT"—which, by the way, is almost always fake.

What you’ll find below are real, verified posts about how USDT connects to everything else in crypto. From how it’s used in cross-chain trading with wrapped tokens, to why it’s the go-to currency on exchanges like MEXC and MDEX, to how fake airdrops misuse its name to trick users. No fluff. No hype. Just how USDT actually moves through the system—and what you need to know to use it safely.