Tether Scores Second-Lowest Rank in S&P Global Stablecoin Stability Assessment
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Ratings company S&P Global introduced a stablecoin stability assessment on Tuesday, assigning scores from 1 (very strong) to 5 (weak) as a measure of how capable the cryptocurrency is at keeping to its fiat-currency peg. None of the eight stablecoins assessed warranted a 1. Three – Gemini dollar (GUSD), USD Coin (USDC) and Pax Dollar (USDP) – scored 2 and Tether (USDT), the largest stablecoin by market cap, was assigned 4 (constrained). Stablecoins are often digital assets backed by real-world assets like the U.S. dollar and are meant to hold their value against those assets. Some, however, are not physically backed, and attempt to use mathematical algorithms to maintain their value. S&P’s assessment considered quality risks, including credit, market value and custody risks as well as liquidation and overcollateralization among other criteria. USDT is the third-biggest crypto after bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH), with a market capitalization of over $90 billion, according to CoinGecko. Last November, as concerns circulated over the ability of crypto exchange FTX to continue functioning, it dropped 3% below its peg. The company attributed the drop to market volatility.