The following data reveals whether institutional stablecoin investors favor USD Coin (USDC) or Tether (USDT) in their trading activities.
Key Metrics Comparison: USDC vs USDT
1. Address Totals
- USDT: 4.1 million addresses
- USDC: 1.7 million addresses
Tether dominates in total adoption, with over twice as many addresses holding USDT compared to USDC.
2. Active Addresses
- USDT: ~4× more daily active users
- USDC: Smaller but more concentrated institutional activity
This metric suggests USDT is preferred by retail users, while USDC sees heavier institutional engagement.
3. Transaction Volume
- USDC: $5.67 billion daily volume
- USDT: $4.5 billion daily volume
Despite fewer total transactions, USDC moves larger value transfers per transaction:
- Average USDC transfer: $140,000
- Average USDT transfer: $42,500
4. Wallet Balances
USDC wallets maintain significantly higher average balances, further supporting its institutional preference.
Market Position Insights
While USDC demonstrates stronger institutional adoption:
- USDT ranks #3 by market cap (behind BTC and ETH)
- USDC ranks #6 (below BNB and XRP)
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Price Stability
Both stablecoins show minimal daily price deviation (<0.1%), maintaining their 1:1 USD peg reliability.
FAQ Section
Q: Why do institutions prefer USDC?
A: Its larger transaction sizes, higher wallet balances, and regulatory transparency make it better suited for corporate usage.
Q: Is USDT safer for retail users?
A: USDT's wider adoption and liquidity make it more accessible, though both maintain strong track records as stablecoins.
Q: Can market cap differences affect stability?
A: Higher liquidity generally improves resilience—USDT's larger market cap may offer slight advantages during volatile periods.
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