StableCoin

PayPal USD (PYUSD) is a U.S. dollar stablecoin launched by PayPal. It is issued by Paxos Trust Company and backed by reserves of U.S. dollar deposits and short term U.S. Treasury securities, allowing it to maintain a 1:1 peg to the U.S. dollar. Built on Ethereum as an ERC-20 token, PYUSD can be used for payments, transfers, and digital asset settlement. As a major step by a traditional payments giant into blockchain finance, PYUSD not only strengthens the potential use of stablecoins in payment scenarios, but also helps move stablecoins closer to the mainstream financial system.

Terra Classic (LUNC) is a blockchain protocol and token designed to support an algorithmic stablecoin system and an on-chain payment network. Its core mechanism is based on a supply and demand adjustment model between stablecoins and the native token. As demand for DeFi and stablecoins grew, Terra Classic was once widely used in on-chain payments, trading, and asset issuance.

Circle has introduced a new USDC Bridge interface, combining established cross-chain technology to streamline and clarify the process of stablecoin transfers. This article examines how it works, the supported chains, and enhancements to the user experience.

USD.AI generates yield primarily through AI infrastructure lending by providing financing to GPU operators and compute infrastructure providers and collecting loan interest. These returns are distributed to sUSDai holders, while the governance token CHIP manages interest rates and risk parameters. This model creates an on-chain yield system backed by AI compute financing, allowing real-world infrastructure revenue to become a sustainable source of DeFi yield.

CHIP is the core governance token of the USD.AI protocol, designed to coordinate yield distribution, loan interest rate adjustments, risk management, and ecosystem incentives. Through CHIP, USD.AI aligns AI infrastructure financing returns with protocol governance, enabling token holders to participate in parameter decisions and share in the protocol’s value growth. This creates a governance-driven, long-term incentive system.

USD.AI enables AI infrastructure financing by using GPUs and other compute assets as collateral within an on-chain lending and yield distribution system. Users deposit stablecoins to mint USDai, while the underlying capital is deployed into GPU-backed loans that generate returns. These returns are distributed to sUSDai holders, effectively transforming AI compute assets into yield-generating on-chain credit instruments and forming a DeFi credit market tailored to AI infrastructure.

USD.AI is a yield-bearing synthetic dollar protocol focused on financing AI infrastructure. By combining stablecoins with GPU-backed lending, it creates a dual-token system consisting of USDai (the stable layer) and sUSDai (the yield layer). The governance token CHIP coordinates interest rates, risk parameters, and yield distribution, enabling the financialization and liquidity expansion of physical AI compute assets.

RSR is the native utility token of Reserve Protocol, primarily used for governance voting, risk buffering, and staking rewards distribution. RSR holders can participate in protocol governance and stake their tokens to provide risk protection for RTokens. When collateral value declines and reserves become insufficient, the protocol sells staked RSR to replenish reserves, ensuring the solvency of the stablecoin system.

Reserve Protocol is a decentralized system for creating and managing asset-backed stablecoins. It issues stablecoins supported by multiple on-chain assets and maintains system stability through governance and risk-buffer mechanisms. Its native token, RSR, serves roles in governance, staking, and absorbing risk.

Reserve Protocol’s stablecoins, known as RTokens, are backed by a basket of on-chain assets and maintained through over-collateralization and an RSR staking mechanism. When users deposit collateral into the protocol, it mints a corresponding amount of RTokens based on predefined rules. If the value of the collateral declines, the RSR staking layer absorbs losses to preserve system solvency. This design allows Reserve Protocol to create asset-backed stablecoins while supporting flexible configurations for different use cases.

Reserve Protocol and MakerDAO are both designed to create decentralized stablecoins, but they rely on different stabilization mechanisms. MakerDAO issues DAI through user-level over-collateralization, while Reserve Protocol backs RTokens with asset baskets and introduces an RSR staking layer as a risk buffer. MakerDAO focuses on a single stablecoin model, whereas Reserve Protocol offers a customizable framework for multiple stablecoins. This distinction makes MakerDAO better suited as a general-purpose stablecoin protocol, while Reserve Protocol functions more as a modular stablecoin infrastructure.

Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol built on Ethereum. Its core stablecoin, USDe, maintains a stable value through a delta-neutral hedging mechanism. Unlike traditional stablecoins that rely on fiat reserves, Ethena stabilizes value by holding crypto assets while opening offsetting short positions in derivatives markets.

Ethena (ENA) is a decentralized stablecoin protocol that uses derivatives hedging to create a stable asset without relying on traditional fiat reserves. By combining onchain assets with derivatives markets, it aims to produce USDe, a stablecoin that maintains its value through hedging rather than direct backing by fiat. As stablecoins continue to play a growing role in DeFi, Ethena introduces a new model that differs from both fiat-backed and overcollateralized designs.

Ethena (ENA) is the governance token of the Ethena protocol, supporting sENA staking, ecosystem incentives, and risk governance. This article explains ENA’s utility, allocation structure, incentive model, and its relationship with the USDe ecosystem.

USDC maintains its peg to the US dollar through a 1:1 reserve backing model. When users deposit USD, Circle issues an equivalent amount of USDC on-chain; when users redeem USD, the corresponding USDC is burned. This mint-and-burn mechanism ensures that the circulating supply always matches the underlying reserves, making USDC a key stable asset in crypto trading, DeFi lending, and on-chain payments.