Key Takeaways
- Tether is integrating USDT into LINE, a messaging and payment platform with 196 million users.
- The rollout will use LINE NEXT’s Web3 infrastructure and Kaia blockchain.
- Users will be able to send, receive, and earn USDT within LINE’s in-app wallet and Mini Dapp ecosystem.
Tether is expanding its reach into the Asian market through a new partnership with LINE, the popular social messaging platform known for its all-in-one functionality.
The integration, announced May 7, will allow users to send, receive and earn Tether’s USDT stablecoin directly within the LINE app.
LINE, which boasts 196 million monthly active users, is widely used across Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia for messaging, payments and services like hotel bookings and restaurant reservations.
The partnership will deploy USDT through LINE NEXT, the company’s Web3 arm, using the Kaia blockchain, LINE’s native infrastructure.
Tether Taps LINE’s 196M Customers For USDT Expansion
The integration could mark a turning point for everyday crypto usage in Asia as USDT becomes a native part of LINE’s Mini Dapp ecosystem and self-custodial wallet infrastructure.
That means users will soon be able to earn and transact in USDT while navigating daily tasks, without ever leaving the LINE app.
Tether said the collaboration is aimed at mainstream consumers across Asia, and will include the launch of mission-based mini apps that reward users in USDT for completing in-app activities.
Users will also be able to send stablecoin payments to friends directly through LINE Messenger.
“As part of this collaboration, USDT will be supported across LINE’s messenger-based Mini Dapp platform and self-custodial wallet infrastructure,” the company wrote in its May 7 announcement.
Social Messaging as a Payment Gateway
The convergence of messaging apps and financial services is a well-established trend in Asia, most notably pioneered in China, where apps like WeChat have long offered chat, shopping, and payments under one roof.
Now, Web3 companies are looking to follow suit.
Meta has made similar moves, recently adding payments to WhatsApp. Telegram has also integrated Web3 and crypto-native payment solutions into its platform.
However, LINE’s sheer scale and existing payment tools make it one of the most promising targets yet for stablecoin integration.
Tether’s partnership with LINE builds on this momentum, offering a template for how stablecoins can enter the mainstream through platforms users already trust and rely on daily.
Additionally, with this move, Tether is not just expanding its footprint; it’s reinforcing the idea that crypto payments don’t need to live in separate, complex apps.
They can, and perhaps should, be woven directly into the apps people already use for communication, commerce, and social connection.
As social platforms increasingly double as financial hubs, USDT’s arrival on LINE could be a sign of what’s to come: stablecoins embedded into everyday digital life, no crypto expertise required.
