KuCoin Ventures Backs Stable, the First USDT-Powered Stablechain

KuCoin Ventures, the investment division of global cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin, has announced a strategic investment in Stable, a new high-throughput Layer 1 blockchain designed specifically for stablecoin issuance, settlement, and payments. Powered by USDT, Stable positions itself as the first blockchain infrastructure dedicated entirely to stablecoin applications, a model it refers to as a “Stablechain.”

The initiative is backed by key contributors from Tether and Bitfinex, with Bitfinex CTO Paolo Ardoino serving as an advisor. The funding round includes participation from KuCoin Ventures, Ardoino, Bitfinex, Hack VC, and Franklin Templeton, among others—highlighting interest from both crypto-native and traditional financial institutions in advancing stablecoin infrastructure.

Unlike general-purpose blockchains such as Ethereum or Tron, Stable is purpose-built to support stablecoin-related activity. It aims to address common challenges in on-chain payments, including volatile transaction fees, slow confirmation times, and usability friction. By embedding payment-centric functionality into the protocol layer, Stable seeks to offer a more efficient and reliable user experience.

“Payments infrastructure around the world needs an overhaul, and traditional methods have failed to achieve fast, reliable, and secure digital payments despite massive demand from consumers across the globe,” said Joshua Harding, Co-founder and CEO of Stable. “Stable was developed to take advantage of the potential behind stablecoins like USDT to offer instant and seamless payments, directly addressing problems with current payment rails. The support we have received from major investors in both crypto and traditional finance shows that they share our vision, one that we are incredibly excited to work alongside them to make a reality.”

One of Stable’s core features is the use of USDT as its native gas token, removing the need for a separate utility token. Peer-to-peer USDT transfers on Stable are gas-free, simplifying transactions for end users. The blockchain operates on StableBFT, a consensus mechanism derived from Cosmos’ CometBFT, and plans to incorporate DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) architecture to improve scalability and confirmation speeds. The platform also offers enterprise-grade infrastructure, enabling businesses to request dedicated block space for consistent transaction performance.

Cass Tsai, Head of KuCoin Ventures, commented on the investment:

“We firmly believe in the long-term potential of stablecoins in global payment ecosystems. Stable, as a high-performance blockchain tailored for USDT, provides a clear path forward for scalable stablecoin circulation, settlement, and cross-border use cases. We look forward to working with the Stable team to advance the development of a global stablecoin clearing and settlement network, and to support the industry’s next growth chapter.”

This investment aligns with KuCoin Ventures’ broader strategy to support emerging infrastructure in the stablecoin and digital payments sector, recognizing the growing role of stablecoins in the future of financial systems.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.