USDC vs USDT — Side by Side
| Feature | USDC | USDT |
|---|---|---|
| Backing | Fiat-Backed | Fiat-Backed |
| Issuer | Circle Internet Financial | Tether Limited |
| Launched | 2018 | 2014 |
| Chains | 10 | 10 |
When to Use Each
USDC
- +Monthly reserve attestations by Deloitte — highest transparency among fiat stablecoins
- +Native CCTP (Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol) eliminates bridge risk for cross-chain transfers
- +US-regulated issuer (Circle holds multiple money transmitter licenses)
USDT
- +Largest stablecoin by market cap — consistently above $100 billion
- +Deepest liquidity on virtually every centralized exchange globally
- +Deployed on 10+ blockchains, making it the most cross-chain stablecoin