Tether has minted its first batch of USDT stablecoins this year, adding $1 billion to the TRON blockchain.

On Jan. 29, data from blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence confirmed the transaction, showing that Tether paid no fees for the large-scale mint.

This is unsurprising, considering TRON’s cost-effective blockchain network has made it one of the most attractive options for stablecoin users in emerging markets where Tether’s USDT is predominantly used for savings and cross-border transactions.

Meanwhile, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino clarified that this $1 billion transaction represents an “authorized but not issued” mint. This means the funds will serve as inventory for future issuance and chain swap requests rather than immediate circulation.

Tether’s tr