Deep Dive
1. RLUSD Flips TUSD (16 July 2025)
Overview:
Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin surged to a $517M market cap by mid-July 2025, overtaking TUSD ($490M). Key drivers include BNY Mellon’s custodianship of RLUSD reserves and partnerships like DIVA Donate’s drought insurance pilot in Kenya. Ripple’s focus on enterprise cross-border payments contrasts with TUSD’s stagnant growth.
What this means:
This is bearish for TUSD as RLUSD’s rapid ascent highlights competitive pressures in the institutional stablecoin space. TUSD’s market cap has remained flat since Q2 2025, while RLUSD grew 67% in six weeks. (The Defiant)
2. Upbit Audit Reveals Strong Reserves (30 June 2025)
Overview:
A June 2025 audit by BDO Sunghyun LLC confirmed Upbit held 487% more TUSD than user deposits, the highest surplus among 254 assets. Reserves were validated via on-chain checks and financial reconciliations.
What this means:
This is neutral-to-bullish, reinforcing TUSD’s transparency but raising questions about excess supply utilization. The 487% ratio far exceeds BTC (109%) and ETH (101%), suggesting strong exchange backing but limited organic demand. (Upbit Report)
3. MiCA Delistings Impact EU Access (25 March 2025)
Overview:
Under MiCA regulations, Binance and Coinbase delisted TUSD pairs for EU users by March 2025, citing compliance gaps. TUSD joined USDT and USDP in being restricted, while USDC remained available.
What this means:
This is bearish for TUSD, as losing EU access reduces liquidity and institutional appeal. Post-delisting, TUSD’s 30-day volume fell 6% (August 2025 data), though global turnover remains stable at 0.0934. (Cryptomus)
Conclusion
TUSD faces headwinds from RLUSD’s rise and MiCA compliance but retains pockets of strength via exchange reserves. While its $494M market cap shows resilience, the stablecoin’s ability to innovate beyond audits will determine its relevance. Will partnerships or new use cases emerge to counter regulatory and competitive pressures?