
Tether's dominance (70% market share, $13.7B profit) fuels development of a dedicated blockchain.
Plasma, a Bitcoin sidechain, aims to offer zero-fee Tether (USDT) transactions, attracting stablecoin users.
$24M funding, led by Framework Ventures, will support Plasma's launch and expansion into various financial applications.
Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin, continues to dominate the market. With a staggering 70% market share and $13.7 billion in profits last year, its influence in the crypto space is undeniable. But what if Tether transactions could be even faster, cheaper, and more efficient?
Paul Faecks, co-founder of Plasma, is building a blockchain designed specifically for Tether. His goal is to enable zero-fee USDT transactions and reshape how stablecoins move across blockchains. If successful, this could be a game-changer.
Here’s how Plasma plans to make it happen.
A Blockchain Just for Tether
Plasma is being developed as a sidechain on the Bitcoin network while remaining fully compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which powers much of decentralized finance (DeFi). The project aims to solve key issues stablecoins face on other blockchains, such as high fees and scalability problems.
By using Bitcoin’s security, Plasma will allow seamless, zero-fee USDT transactions.
$24 Million Raised to Launch Tether-Focused Blockchain
Plasma is set to launch its blockchain for Tether in Q2 of this year, backed by major investors. On Thursday, the company announced it had raised $24 million in its initial funding round, led by Framework Ventures. The round also saw support from crypto exchange Bitfinex, venture capitalist Peter Thiel, and Tether CEO paolo ardoino
paolo ardoino Paolo Ardoino is the Chief Technology Officer at Bitfinex, founded by iFinex in 2012. Ardoino became majorly concerned with cryptography and discovered distributed systems while undergoing research for a military project and later moved to London in 2013 where he founded Fincluster, a technology startup that built a cloud-based Financial Service Application for Fund Managers and Institutions. Ardoino began his career as a senior software developer at Bitfinex in 2014. After two years, he was promoted to Chief Technology Officer. Ardoino also serves as the commander, Bitfinex underwent a banner year in 2020, where they launched a staking service, institution-grade custody services, an open-source peer-to-peer streaming protocol, and a market surveillance tool, all under the technical supervision of Paola Ardoino under Ardoino Tether's stablecoin, USDT has grown to become the first and largest United States and dollar-backed Stabelcoin by market capitalization. In the year 2017, Ardoino became the Chief Technology Officer of Tether, founded in the year 2014. Moreover, the exchange made headlines for creating one of the largest Bitcoin transactions ever. In 2022 Arduino worked with Michele Foletti, the mayor of Lugano Switzerland, to accept Tether and other Cryptocurrencies for municipal payments. Under Arduino Tether has aimed to support the country's Bitcoin adoption which aims to raise $1 billion.
Personal Details:
Born: Italy 1984
Organization: SwissBorg, Bitfinex.
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Graduation: Paolo holds a degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Genoa
Experience:
Chief Executive Officer at Tether. to from Dec 2023 to present
Chief Technology Officer at Tether.to from Dec 2017 to Apr 2024
Chief Technology Officer at Bitfinex from Mar 2015 to present
Senior Software Developer at Bitfinex from Oct 2014 to Feb 2015
Chief Strategy Officer at Holepunch from Jan 2020 to present
Partner at Fincluster from 2012 to 2015
Senior Full-Stack Developer at Swiss-based Asset Manager from 2010 to 2012
Co-Founder at Involutive snc from Jan 2007 to Apr 2009
Senior Software and Web Developer at Freelance Consultant from 2003 to 2008
Ardoino is one of the Top Blockchain Speaker as he actively takes part in the development of Blockchain Technology EntrepreneurDeveloper/ProgrammerFinanceChief Technology Officer .
This investment follows an earlier $4 million funding round backed by Bitfinex, Ardoino, Thiel, and well-known crypto traders Cobie and Zaheer Ebtikar. The new funds will help Plasma launch its testnet and mainnet while also expanding into remittances, payments, and DeFi applications.
Why Plasma is Different
Tether is already available on multiple blockchains, including Solana, Tron, Polkadot, and Bitcoin via the Omni Layer. However, Paul Faecks explained that Plasma is built specifically to make stablecoin transactions faster and more efficient.
Unlike other blockchains, it removes features like NFT trading, memecoins, airdrops, and decentralized voting, focusing entirely on handling high-volume stablecoin transactions.
THIS is the Future of Crypto Transactions
Stablecoins have become a key part of the crypto market, with their total supply now exceeding $220 billion. They are widely used for everyday payments and savings, but most of this activity happens on newer blockchains like Ethereum, Tron, and Solana rather than Bitcoin.
“Stablecoins are the clear winner in blockchain adoption, yet they’re treated as second-class citizens on current blockchains,” Paul Faecks, founder and CEO of Plasma, remarked in a statement. “By leveraging Bitcoin as a foundation, zero-fee USDT transfers, alongside a purpose-built ecosystem and infrastructure for stablecoins with deep liquidity, Plasma creates the most secure, scalable, and efficient blockchain for stablecoins on the market,” he added.
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A blockchain built for Tether? If Plasma delivers on its promise, stablecoin transactions may never be the same again.