TrueUSD (TUSD) - Complete Overview
TrueUSD (TUSD) is a USD-pegged stablecoin designed to maintain a stable 1:1 value with the U.S. dollar. It was created in March 2018 by Rafael Cosman and Danny An through their company TrustToken, and is now owned and operated by Techteryx, a Singapore-based investment conglomerate.
๐ Current Market Status (February 10, 2026)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Price | $0.9977 USD |
| Market Cap | $493.39 Million |
| Market Rank | #100 |
| 24h Trading Volume | $2.94 Million |
| Circulating Supply | 494.5 Million TUSD |
| Price Stability (7 days) | -0.05% |
Peg Performance: TUSD is maintaining excellent stability at $0.9977, just 0.23% below its $1.00 targetโdemonstrating effective peg maintenance despite recent controversies.
๐ Key Features & What Makes TUSD Different
1. Industry-Leading Transparency
- Daily Independent Attestations by Moore Hong Kong (a global accounting firm)
- Most competitors only provide monthly or quarterly reports
- Real-time audit dashboard through partnership with Armanino
- Public transparency reports available on tusd.io
2. Chainlink Proof of Reserves (PoR)
- First USD-backed stablecoin to integrate Chainlink's PoR technology (2023)
- Smart contracts verify reserves before minting new tokens
- Real-time, on-chain verification of off-chain USD reserves
- Prevents over-issuance beyond actual dollar backing
3. Full Collateralization
- Every TUSD token is backed 1:1 by USD held in third-party escrow accounts
- No fractional reserve banking
- Legally clear claims by TUSD holders on dollar deposits
4. Multi-Chain Availability
TUSD operates on 12+ blockchains, including:
- Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, TRON, Avalanche
- Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Fantom, and more
๐ฐ How TUSD Works
Minting Process:
- Users deposit USD into designated bank accounts
- Smart contracts automatically mint equivalent TUSD
- TUSD transferred to user's wallet within 1 business day
- No fees for minting
Redemption Process:
- Users send TUSD to their unique redemption address
- Banking partners wire USD to user's bank account within 1 business day
- Minimum redemption: $1,000
- Requires KYC/AML verification
- No fees for redemption
Peg Maintenance:
- Arbitrage opportunities keep price stable near $1.00
- If TUSD trades below $1, traders buy and redeem for profit
- If TUSD trades above $1, traders mint and sell for profit
๐๏ธ Regulatory Compliance
- Operated by TrueCoin LLC, a regulated U.S. entity
- Compliant with FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network)
- Requires KYC verification for withdrawals
- Working toward MiCA compliance for EU markets (Q1 2026 deadline)
โ ๏ธ CRITICAL: Current Challenges & Risks
๐จ Major Controversy: $456 Million Reserve Scandal
The Issue:
- Between 2020-2022, Techteryx invested $456 million of TUSD's reserves in the Aria Commodity Finance Fund
- The investment was allegedly diverted to Aria Commodities (owned by the fund founder's wife)
- Dubai's Digital Economy Court issued a global asset freeze in October 2025
- This represents a significant collateral shortfall
Impact: Severely damaged trust in TUSD's reserve management and raises questions about the integrity of the 1:1 backing.
๐ S&P Global Rating (November 2025)
- Rating: 5 out of 5 (where 5 = "weak")โthe lowest possible score
- S&P concluded TUSD is unlikely to maintain its $1 peg long-term
- Cited persistent transparency and governance failures
โ๏ธ Celsius Lawsuit (January 2026)
- Bankrupt Celsius estate sued TUSD management
- Allegations: Misappropriation of nearly $13 million in customer funds for risky offshore investments
- Amplifies credibility risks
๐ Exchange Delistings
- Bitfinex delisted TUSD in January 2026
- Reduces liquidity and signals loss of confidence from trading platforms
๐ช๐บ MiCA Compliance Risk
- TUSD faces potential delisting in the European Economic Area unless Techteryx implements stricter transparency and licensing requirements by Q1 2026
๐ Comparison with Other Stablecoins
| Feature | TUSD | USDT (Tether) | USDC (Circle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reserve Attestation | Daily | Quarterly | Monthly |
| Proof of Reserves | โ Yes (Chainlink) | โ No | โ No |
| Transparency | Superior (daily audits) | Historical concerns | Strong |
| Market Cap | $493M | $140B+ | $40B+ |
| Recent Controversies | $456M reserve scandal | Past transparency issues | Minimal |
| Regulatory Status | U.S. regulated | Offshore | U.S. regulated |
๐ Use Cases
As a stablecoin, TUSD is primarily used for:
โ Trading & DeFi - Stable trading pairs and liquidity provision โ Cross-border payments - Fast, low-cost international transfers โ Hedging volatility - Parking funds during market uncertainty โ Collateral - Margin trading on exchanges like Binance โ Cross-chain settlements - Multi-blockchain transactions
๐ฎ Current Outlook (February 2026)
Bullish Factors:
โ Maintains near-perfect $1 peg despite controversies โ Daily attestations provide superior transparency vs. competitors โ Multi-chain availability and DeFi integrations โ Planned transparency overhaul and regulatory compliance efforts โ Chainlink PoR integration provides technical safeguards
Bearish Factors:
โ ๏ธ $456 million reserve scandal and ongoing litigation โ ๏ธ S&P's "weak" rating (lowest possible) โ ๏ธ Recent exchange delistings reducing liquidity โ ๏ธ Celsius lawsuit adding legal pressures โ ๏ธ Institutional adoption concerns due to governance issues โ ๏ธ MiCA compliance deadline poses EU delisting risk
๐ฏ Bottom Line
TrueUSD pioneered industry-leading transparency practices with daily attestations and Chainlink Proof of Reserves integration, setting it apart from competitors like USDT and USDC. However, the stablecoin faces significant headwinds in 2026 due to the $456 million reserve scandal, S&P's damning rating, and regulatory challenges.
Critical Milestone: The outcome of the Dubai court case and recovery of frozen assets is the single biggest factor for restoring long-term confidence in TUSD.
While TUSD continues to maintain its peg and operate across multiple blockchains, its future viability depends on:
- Resolving the reserve crisis
- Achieving MiCA compliance
- Rebuilding institutional trust through enhanced transparency
- Successfully defending against legal challenges