Thanks to its stability and global popularity, the USDT stablecoin has revolutionized how individuals and businesses send, receive, and store value in the digital ecosystem. Despite its popularity and years of market presence, some misconceptions about this stablecoin persist. These myths stem from technical confusion, misinformation, and past events that no longer reflect USDT’s current reality. Below, we will mention the most common myths about USDT:
It is not backed by real dollars
When discussing USD (Tether), there is a misconception that it lacks sufficient reserves to back all the tokens in circulation. This belief originated several years ago, when the company faced legal challenges and fines for failing to be fully transparent about the composition of its reserves.
Since then, USDT has significantly improved its accountability. Currently, the company publishes quarterly reports prepared by BDO Italia, a renowned auditing firm. It’s worth noting that, according to recent reports, over 80% of USDT’s reserves consist of US Treasury Bills, highly liquid assets, and the total backing exceeds 100% of the tokens in circulation. While opinions remain divided regarding its absolute transparency, claiming that USDT has no backing whatsoever is far from the truth.
It’s only useful for trading on exchanges
Some people believe that USDT is only useful for trading other cryptocurrencies on exchange platforms, but its utility goes far beyond that. Currently, USDT is used to pay international suppliers, receive family remittances, buy goods and services in physical and online stores, and even save without fear of local fiat currency devaluation.
It’s insecure because it’s been hacked
This is one of the most repeated myths, but it’s based on a common misconception. Tether (USDT) suffered a single hack in November 2017, when approximately 31 million USDT were stolen from its treasury wallet. The company responded quickly with a hard fork that marked those tokens as non-redeemable, preventing the attacker from using them in the market. Since then, there have been no successful direct hacks against Tether’s core issuance infrastructure in almost 9 years.
Despite this security incident, USDT (Tether) stands out as one of the most reliable stablecoins, as it relies on blockchain technology, has robust security systems, and features smart contracts on networks like Ethereum and Tron, which significantly reduces the likelihood of direct theft or hacking. Furthermore, Tether collaborates with authorities to comply with local regulations, freeze fraudulent addresses, and implement stricter security measures.
It is completely anonymous
It’s important to note that USDT transactions are pseudonymous rather than anonymous, meaning that every transaction is recorded publicly and immutably on the blockchain. In other words, anyone can see the transaction hash, the addresses involved, and the amount transferred.
What isn’t automatically revealed is the identity behind each address. However, most exchanges and platforms that allow buying or selling USDT require Know Your Customer (KYC) verification, thus linking addresses to real people. Therefore, authorities can trace illicit transactions relatively easily if a regulated exchange is used.
Sending USDT is very expensive
This myth arises from confusing USDT with Bitcoin or Ethereum during periods of high congestion. In reality, the cost of sending USDT depends entirely on the chosen blockchain network. If using the Ethereum network (ERC-20), fees can be high (sometimes exceeding $10 or $20), but if the Tron network (TRC-20) is chosen, the fee is usually less than $1, and transactions are confirmed in less than 2 minutes. Networks like Solana and BSC also offer similarly low costs. The key is choosing the right network and agreeing on it with the recipient. One USDT and one US dollar are worth “exactly” the same.
Although USDT is designed to maintain close parity with the US dollar, its value is not identical to fiat money, as small fluctuations can occur due to market supply and demand. Under normal conditions, the difference is usually less than one percent, but in situations of high volatility or panic, the price of USDT can deviate slightly, reaching $0.98 or $1.02.
It could disappear overnight
Some people claim that USDT is a “bubble” that will burst at any moment, leaving millions of users without their financial assets or savings. While no financial asset is risk-free, the probability of a sudden disappearance is very low, as USDT has been operating for over a decade and has survived multiple crypto market crises, regulatory demands, and regulatory changes across various countries. Its market capitalization currently exceeds one hundred billion dollars, and it is currently integrated into the infrastructure of hundreds of exchanges, wallets, and online payment platforms globally.
What do you think about this? Do you know of any other myths about USDT?
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