A stablecoin is a digital token designed to track the value of a real world asset, most often the US dollar. Instead of moving through card networks and bank rails, stablecoins move on blockchains, while being backed by reserves such as cash and short term U.S. Treasuries.
In practice, that makes stablecoins a new type of financial infrastructure:
- easy to store
- fast to move
- programmable for developers and products
The sector has scaled quickly. By mid 2025, dollar stablecoins reached nearly 300 billion dollars in supply, with USDT and USDC accounting for more than 80 percent of the market. Annual onchain transfer volume has already exceeded 25 trillion dollars, surpassing Visa and Mastercard combined. Analysts now expect in excess of 2 trillion dollars in stablecoin holdings by 2027 to 2028
Why stablecoins matter
Stablecoins make digital money more useful for real people and institutions:
- Store of value
Fully reserved stablecoins, like Opal’s native USDop, are designed to hold their value with 1:1 backing by high quality, highly liquid assets such as short dated U.S. Treasuries. Holders can see how reserves are managed and audited, building confidence in the asset. USDop will always be collateralized 1:1 with US treasuries. - Borderless access
Because stablecoins move on public blockchains, they can settle in seconds, across borders, at any time of day. USDop is built to take advantage of this - giving users a simple way to hold and move dollars globally without relying on slow correspondent banking rails. - Programmability
Stablecoins are also building blocks for financial products. Developers can plug a token like USDop into wallets, payment apps, or curated onchain strategies, allowing users to access opportunities that were previously reserved for large institutions.
At Opal, USDop powers our entire platform - a stable, programmable base that helps more people, in more places, access high-quality investment opportunities.
Stable by design. Built to grow.
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What is a stablecoin?
A stablecoin is a digital token designed to track the value of a real world asset, most often the US dollar. Instead of moving through card networks and bank rails, stablecoins move on blockchains, while being backed by reserves such as cash and short term U.S. Treasuries.
