Tether’s USDT stablecoin will soon support commission-free transactions on the Tron blockchain, according to Tron founder Justin Sun.
Sun announced that Tron’s Gas Free feature will roll out within the next week, allowing users to send USDT without needing TRX for gas fees.
The update comes as Tron transaction fees have soared, making it one of the most expensive networks for USDT transfers.
Tron was once the cheapest option for USDT transfers, offering an alternative to Ethereum’s ERC-20 USDT. However, fees spiked dramatically in recent months.
According to Tether’s GasFeesNow page, TRC-20 USDT transfers now cost between $3.20 and $6.50, while ERC-20 USDT transfers on Ethereum are priced at around $0.40.
“Gas fees estimation is tricky for the Tron network,” Tether noted, explaining that USDT transfers require “energy” and “bandwidth”, which regular users may not have.
Sun has been working on a gas-free solution since mid-2024. The project was initially planned for Q4 2024, but the timeline appears to have shifted.
“I believe that similar services will make it easier for large companies to deploy stablecoin services on the blockchain, pushing mass adoption forward,” Sun said last year.
Tron’s Gas Free feature could restore its status as the go-to network for stablecoin transfers, removing a major cost barrier for USDT users.
Elsewhere, the T3 Financial Crime Unit, a collaboration between the Tron blockchain, Tether, and TRM Labs, has frozen $100 million in USDT linked to illicit activities since its formation in September.
The unit leverages TRM Labs’ blockchain intelligence tools to monitor and analyze transactions involving USDT on the Tron blockchain.
Tron is the largest blockchain network for USDT transactions, with $60.8 billion in Tron-based USDT, roughly 51% of all USDT in circulation.
The team reviewed millions of transactions across five continents, tracking over $3 billion in USDT on the Tron blockchain, which accounts for nearly $60 billion in issued stablecoins. Tron ranks second only to Ethereum, which has $75 billion in USDT issuance.
