Tether, Georgia to Launch GEL₮ Stablecoin Pegged to Lari

Tether and the government of Georgia announced plans to launch GEL₮, a stablecoin pegged one-to-one to the Georgian lari, under a new U.S.-aligned stablecoin regime. The program will place sovereign fiat on blockchain rails and integrate with Georgia’s digital payments infrastructure.

The regulatory framework was built to align with the U.S. GENIUS Act. Georgian authorities say the alignment aims to allow regulatory interoperability with U.S. digital asset rules. GEL₮ is planned to mirror the lari’s value and to offer lower transaction fees, near-instant settlement and programmable payments for automated transfers across digital financial networks.

Georgia already permits tax payments via instant conversion of digital assets. Authorities expect GEL₮ to integrate into that system and to support cross-border trade, expand fintech development, improve the national payments system and broaden access to programmable financial services for people and businesses in Georgia and the surrounding region.

Tether will work with Georgian officials on technical and operational aspects. The government has not released a timetable or full details on GEL₮’s legal structure, custody arrangements or oversight mechanisms; those specifics will be disclosed later.

Adjusted onchain stablecoin volume reached $7.6 trillion in April 2026. Forecasts cited in the announcement include a projection of $33 trillion in onchain stablecoin volume for 2026 and an estimate that adjusted stablecoin transaction volume could rise to $719 trillion by 2035 through organic growth, with a possible expansion to about $1.5 quadrillion if broader macroeconomic factors accelerate adoption.

The announcement noted that whether other governments adopt similar U.S.-aligned national stablecoin frameworks will shape how sovereign fiat is moved onchain.

In the announcement, Vakhtang Turnava, a member of parliament, described the partnership with Tether as “an opportunity to become a strategic bridge between traditional finance and the digital economy of the future.”

Officials and Tether said they will provide further technical, legal and operational details ahead of GEL₮’s rollout.