RGB pushes a unified Bitcoin asset standard as Tether prepares native USDT issuance on Bitcoin
RGB has renewed its pitch to become the common asset standard across Bitcoin’s growing multi-layer ecosystem, arguing that separate token frameworks built by Lightning, Ark, Spark and other protocols are creating fragmentation. The timing is notable. On July 6, Tether said it would issue USDT natively on Bitcoin through RGB, with UTEXO leading issuance and distribution and a launch expected within weeks. That would mark USDT’s return to Bitcoin 12 years after its earlier issuance era on Omni Layer. RGB’s architecture differs from ERC-20 on Ethereum. It uses client-side validation, keeps contract data and state off-chain except for commitments, and binds asset ownership directly to Bitcoin UTXOs. According to the source material, this allows assets to move between the Bitcoin base layer and Lightning channels without relying on cross-chain bridges, while final settlement stays on Bitcoin. The project’s technical stack has also advanced. RGB exited testnet in July 2025, version 0.11.1 gained full Bitcoin mainnet support, and the LNP/BP Standards Association released v0.12 on July 10, 2025 after an eight-month rebuild. Still, the article argues adoption remains the real test. With about 92% of USDT circulating on Ethereum and Tron, Tether’s distribution power may become the first large-scale trial of RGB’s standardization push.






