In May 2025, TRON surpassed Ethereum in USDT issuance, with over $77.7 billion worth of USDT circulating on its blockchain—marking a historic milestone in the stablecoin landscape. For the first time, TRON leads in both total and circulating supply of USDT, cementing its position as the world’s dominant stablecoin issuance network.
Stablecoins are no longer just a cornerstone of the crypto ecosystem—they're increasingly vital in cross-border payments and traditional finance. TRON’s rise to dominance reflects more than just network growth; it signals a shift in how decentralized finance (DeFi) and global financial infrastructure are being reimagined. By outperforming Ethereum in scalability, cost-efficiency, and real-world utility, TRON has positioned itself at the forefront of this transformation.
The Technical Edge Behind TRON’s Dominance
When it comes to blockchain adoption, two factors matter most: transaction speed and cost efficiency. TRON excels in both—offering a compelling alternative to Ethereum’s often congested and expensive network.
TRON achieves finality in seconds and supports over 2,000 transactions per second (TPS)—on par with Visa’s payment processing capabilities. In contrast, Ethereum’s base layer handles around 30 TPS, leading to frequent congestion during peak usage. High demand means users often face long confirmation times and unpredictable fees.
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On cost, the difference is even starker. TRON’s average transaction fee remains below $1, with advanced optimization techniques allowing transfers for as low as $0.20—or even free under certain conditions. Fees on TRON are based on bandwidth and energy: bandwidth is replenished daily at no cost, while energy can be purchased or rented. Renting energy reduces costs by up to 80%, making frequent transfers highly economical—often under $0.50 per transaction.
Ethereum, by comparison, can require $10–$20 in gas fees for a single transfer during high activity—nearly 100 times more expensive than TRON. While Ethereum’s upgrades like Layer 2 rollups aim to solve these issues, they’ve arrived too late to prevent market share erosion.
In April 2025, TRON launched GasFree, a groundbreaking feature that eliminates the need for native tokens (TRX) in stablecoin transfers. Instead, users pay fees directly in USDT, drastically lowering the entry barrier for new users unfamiliar with crypto wallets or gas mechanics. This innovation strengthens TRON’s role as the go-to network for stablecoin transactions.
Continuous Innovation: The Kant Upgrade
Behind these improvements lies a consistent roadmap of technical evolution. Founded by Justin Sun in 2018, TRON outlined a four-phase vision: Exodus, Odyssey, GreatVoyage, and StarTrek. As of May 2025, TRON is operating under GreatVoyage-v4.8.0 (Kant)—a major upgrade reflecting deep architectural advancements.
Key innovations in the Kant release include:
- EIP-1153: Introduces transient storage, reducing smart contract execution costs by 35%.
- Prototype Sharding (EIP-4844): Enables interoperability with Ethereum rollups, boosting cross-chain transaction throughput to 1,500 TPS.
- EIP-5656: Optimizes memory copying in EVM operations, cutting DApp deployment time by 50%.
These upgrades aren’t just incremental—they represent a strategic push toward scalability, developer accessibility, and cross-chain integration. While TRON was once seen as marketing-driven, its current success is firmly rooted in technical maturity.
From Stablecoin Leader to Global Financial Infrastructure
TRON’s technological edge has fueled explosive ecosystem growth. According to CryptoQuant’s 2024 TRON Annual Report, monthly transactions surged from 129.8 million in February to 239.6 million in October—a staggering 84% increase. Total annual transactions reached 2.38 billion in 2024 alone.
By May 20, 2025, TRON hosted over 307 million accounts, up 40% year-over-year, with total value locked (TVL) exceeding $23.6 billion.
One of the clearest indicators of TRON’s dominance is the volume of TRC20-USDT transactions, which now process up to $19 billion daily—driven largely by demand in emerging markets and remittance use cases. In regions where traditional banking is inaccessible or inefficient, TRON-powered USDT offers a fast, low-cost alternative for sending money across borders.
With 98.5% of stablecoins on TRON being USDT, the network enjoys unparalleled liquidity. Every time Tether mints new USDT on TRON, decentralized applications (DApps) benefit from increased capital inflows—creating a self-reinforcing cycle of growth.
Expanding Influence in Politics and Compliance
Beyond technology and usage metrics, TRON has made significant strides in mainstream recognition and regulatory alignment.
In early 2025, following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s election win, TRON gained unprecedented visibility through its association with World Liberty Financial (WLF)—a project backed by the Trump family. WLF acquired substantial amounts of TRX, and its affiliated stablecoin USD1 launched exclusively on Huobi HTX via the TRON network. Founder Justin Sun was also invited to attend a private dinner with President Trump—an event that amplified TRON’s global profile and provided strong brand validation for its ecosystem.
Regulatory progress further underscores TRON’s institutional credibility:
- TRX ETF Filing: A spot TRX ETF has been submitted to the U.S. SEC, which, if approved, would become the first crypto ETF supporting staking rewards.
- FATF Travel Rule Compliance: TRON is collaborating with the government of Dominica and Tether’s T3 anti-financial crime unit to implement an on-chain monitoring system compliant with international standards.
These developments signal that TRON is not just a decentralized network—it's becoming a legitimate player in the global financial system.
Messari highlighted in its Crypto Thesis 2024 report that TRON possesses robust infrastructure aimed at mass crypto adoption and is playing a pivotal role in transforming global payment models.
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FAQ: Understanding TRON’s Rise
Q: Why did TRON surpass Ethereum in USDT issuance?
A: Due to lower transaction costs, faster processing speeds, and features like GasFree that simplify user experience—making it ideal for high-frequency stablecoin transfers.
Q: Is USDT on TRON safe and widely accepted?
A: Yes. TRC20-USDT is supported by major exchanges and wallets globally. Its security is backed by Tether’s reserves and audited regularly.
Q: How does TRON handle scalability compared to Ethereum?
A: TRON natively supports higher TPS and lower latency without relying on Layer 2 solutions, giving it an edge in real-time transaction environments.
Q: What makes GasFree revolutionary?
A: It allows users to pay fees directly in USDT instead of requiring TRX, removing a major friction point for newcomers unfamiliar with native tokens.
Q: Can developers build DeFi apps easily on TRON?
A: Absolutely. With EVM compatibility, optimized memory handling (EIP-5656), and reduced deployment times, TRON is increasingly attractive to developers.
Q: Is TRON only focused on stablecoins?
A: No. While USDT dominates its ecosystem, TRON supports diverse DApps including lending protocols, NFT platforms, gaming, and decentralized exchanges.
The Road Ahead: Bridging Web3 and Traditional Finance
TRON’s ascent is not accidental—it results from deliberate technological iteration and strategic ecosystem expansion. By leveraging stablecoins as a foundation, it has unlocked access to DeFi, cross-border remittances, and regulated financial services.
As AI integration and cross-chain interoperability advance, TRON aims to become the core settlement layer for global financial transactions, offering institutions and individuals alike a faster, cheaper, and more inclusive alternative to legacy systems.
Justin Sun once stated: "TRON’s mission is to serve as the backbone of global financial transactions—delivering efficient, low-cost services to everyone." That vision is now unfolding in real time.
With supportive regulatory moves, growing institutional interest, and relentless innovation, TRON is poised to become a critical bridge between traditional finance and the Web3 economy.
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The shift in stablecoin supremacy from Ethereum to TRON isn’t just about market share—it’s a sign of changing priorities in the digital economy: speed, affordability, and real-world usability now take precedence over pure decentralization ideals. As financial inclusion becomes a global imperative, networks like TRON are leading the charge toward a more accessible financial future.
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