Stablecoin Meltdown: This Token Loses $7 Billion Within A Week

Anvesh Reddy
May 17, 2022 Updated October 16, 2024
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Ever since Tether temporarily lost the dollar peg last week, rampant liquidation appears to have happened. Apparently, the crypto crash induced by the depegging of another stablecoin, Terra’s UST has had significant effect on investor sentiment.

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Massive Tether Liquidation

According to CoinGecko data, as much as $7 billion worth of Tether has been liquidated in the space of one week. From having a market cap of $83 billion last Tuesday to having dropped to $75 billion now, the world’s largest stablecoin suffered a major blow.

Tether also holds the distinction of being the third-largest cryptocurrency, even now. Another stablecoin, USDC, with a market cap of $52 billion, stands at fourth position in terms of market cap. Interestingly, USDC’s circulating supply grew by $4 billion from $48 billion last week, despite widespread market resistance against stablecoins.

On Thursday, Tether price dropped to 95 cents amid a stablecoin meltdown in the cryptocurrency market. This led to a debate among traders over the trustworthiness of stablecoins. Whether there were enough fund reserves that act as collateral to back the stablecoin supply was the cause of concern.

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‘Tether Fully Backed’

In this context, Paolo Ardoino, chief technology officer of Tether, said, “Tether is fully backed.” He was responding to a tweet on Tuesday from an analyst asking if all the $75 billion worth of Tether is fully-backed or not.

“We have redeemed 7B in 48h, without the blink of an eye. How many institutions can do the same?  We can keep going if the market wants, we have all the liquidity to handle big redemptions and pay all 1-to-1. Yes, Tether is fully backed.”

Adding to this, FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said that successfully redeeming $7 billion proves that there were reserves to send back.

The fears over stability of stablecoins stem from the recent fiasco involving the drastic decline of Terra’s UST. It had also led to uncertainty over the cash reserves of various stablecoins.

However, Bitfinex, the cryptocurrency exchange that operates Tether, claims to support Tether’s value with nearly 84% of cash and cash equivalents. As announced previously, Tether is currently working on an audit, Ardoino said in the tweet thread.

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Investment disclaimer: The content reflects the author’s personal views and current market conditions. Please conduct your own research before investing in cryptocurrencies, as neither the author nor the publication is responsible for any financial losses.
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Why Trust CoinGape

CoinGape has covered the cryptocurrency industry since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights Read more…to our readers. Our journal analysts bring years of experience in market analysis and blockchain technology to ensure factual accuracy and balanced reporting. By following our Editorial Policy, our writers verify every source, fact-check each story, rely on reputable sources, and attribute quotes and media correctly. We also follow a rigorous Review Methodology when evaluating exchanges and tools. From emerging blockchain projects and coin launches to industry events and technical developments, we cover all facets of the digital asset space with unwavering commitment to timely, relevant information.

About Author
About Author
Anvesh reports major crypto updates around U.S. regulation and market moving trends. Published over 1400 articles so far on crypto and blockchain. A proud dropout of University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Can be reached at [email protected] or x.com/BitcoinReddy or linkedin.com/in/anveshreddybtc/
Investment disclaimer: The content reflects the author’s personal views and current market conditions. Please conduct your own research before investing in cryptocurrencies, as neither the author nor the publication is responsible for any financial losses.
Ad Disclosure: This site may feature sponsored content and affiliate links. All advertisements are clearly labeled, and ad partners have no influence over our editorial content.