On Wednesday, stablecoin issuer Tether announced the native deployment of USDT on Kaia, a Layer 1 blockchain. The move comes in collaboration with LINE NEXT, the blockchain arm of messaging giant LINE, aiming to bring US dollar-backed stablecoin services to mainstream consumers across Asia through integration with the LINE platform’s applications.

The Kaia blockchain—formerly known as Klaytn (developed by South Korea’s Kakao) and Finschia (from LINE)—launched its mainnet following a merger of the two chains last year. Kaia now powers the Mini Decentralized Applications (Mini Dapps) hosted on the LINE communication platform.

This partnership will enable USDT support across LINE’s Mini Dapps and crypto wallet infrastructure, giving LINE’s 196 million monthly active users access to the world’s largest dollar-pegged stablecoin. Users will be able to use USDT for in-app payments, cross-border transfers, and DeFi participation, all within the familiar LINE interface.

According to the announcement, the LINE NEXT plan includes allowing users to earn USDT as rewards by completing tasks within various Mini Dapps, as well as sending and receiving USDT directly via LINE’s in-app wallet. LINE NEXT is also exploring further USDT integration into more features within its Mini Dapp ecosystem.

Youngsu Ko, CEO of LINE NEXT, commented:

“LINE NEXT’s adoption of USDT will help establish a USD-based gateway in Asia. By integrating stablecoin-powered services, our goal is to bring Web3 experiences closer to users’ everyday lives.”