Tether

Since its launch in 2014, Tetherís USDT has been the undisputed stablecoin king, and there is no sign its dominance will end anytime soon. Even after a flood of would-be rivals entered the market in recent years, USDTís market cap is roughly double all of them combined and, in mid-2026, stood above $185 billion.

While USDT remains Tether's calling card, CEO Paolo Ardoino has built his company into an empire. That includes a popular gold-backed stablecoin, a push into the U.S. market, and large investments in decentralized services related to AI, telecom and agriculture. Tether's lack of transparency has long been a concern for both critics and investors, but the company is in the process of carrying out a long-awaited audit with the help of Big Four accounting firms PwC and KPMG.