TerraClassicUSD (USTC), a decentralized, algorithmic stablecoin, operates on the Terra Classic blockchain. Initially launched as TerraUSD (UST) on the original Terra blockchain, it underwent rebranding to USTC following the May 2022 de-pegging crisis.
The old Terra chain was then renamed Terra Classic, differentiating it from the current Terra blockchain, or Terra 2.0, which shifted focus to Web 3.0 and decentralized applications (dApps). Terra Classic, meanwhile, continues to support USTC, utilizing LUNA Classic (LUNC) to maintain price stability.
As of December 2023, the Terra Classic community remains committed to revitalizing USTC and LUNC, aiming to restore their value to the previous high. Recently, USTC experienced a remarkable surge, with over 285% gains in a 24-hour period, indicating renewed interest and optimism in the crypto market. This resurgence was partly fueled by a new Binance perpetuals contract listing, igniting significant interest in both USTC and its sister token LUNC.
Challenges persist despite efforts by the Terra Classic community, including LUNC token burns, to reduce its overwhelming circulating supply. From a total supply exceeding 9.7 trillion, the circulating supply had only marginally decreased to under 8.9 trillion by December 2023. The latest initiatives, such as a new proposal by a prominent community figure, dfunk, aim to rejuvenate USTC and push its value toward the $1 mark.
USTC's price trajectory remains a subject of speculation, with some predictions suggesting it could reach $0.49 within two years. However, these forecasts should be approached with caution, given the volatile nature of cryptocurrency markets.
TerraClassicUSD (USTC) is an algorithmic stablecoin from South Korea's Terraform Labs, part of the Terra Classic ecosystem. Unlike many popular stablecoins backed by dollar reserves, USTC uses a unique algorithmic approach involving its native digital asset, LUNA Classic (LUNC), to maintain a close peg to the US dollar.
In the Terra Classic model, demand fluctuations for USTC impact the burn rate of LUNC tokens. When USTC demand rises, the algorithms increase LUNC's burn rate to uphold the USD peg. Conversely, a drop in TerraClassicUSD demand slows down LUNC burning, impacting USTC's peg to the dollar.
However, recent developments indicate a significant shift in this mechanism. The Terra Classic community voted to stop all USTC minting and re-minting activities, moving away from the previous approach of minting more LUNC tokens when USTC demand falls. This decision aims to stabilize the USTC to USD peg by reducing the USTC supply, aligning with the interests of both the community and external investors.
The Terra blockchain, established in January 2018, was designed to enhance cryptocurrency adoption for global payments. This ambition led to the Terra Alliance, a group of 15 prominent Asian e-commerce businesses, which facilitated the development of the Terra network infrastructure.
Do Kwon and Daniel Shin founded the Terra blockchain in April 2019, introducing the LUNA token. TerraUSD (UST), the precursor to TerraClassicUSD (USTC), followed in September 2020. In under two years, this stablecoin climbed the ranks to become the third-largest by market capitalization, surpassing established competitors like BUSD and DAI. Terra envisioned USTC to function as an interchain digital asset, supporting scalability in DeFi across various blockchain ecosystems.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, the Terra ecosystem faced a significant collapse in 2022, leading to the rebranding of Terra 1.0 to Terra Classic and the transformation of LUNA and UST to LUNA Classic (LUNC) and TerraClassicUSD (USTC). The new Terra ecosystem, Terra 2.0, now supports various dApps that migrated from Terra Classic. Both Terra and Terra Classic operate on Proof of Stake (PoS) mechanisms.
Recent developments in 2023 have showcased a remarkable resurgence in the Terra Classic ecosystem. TerraClassicUSD (USTC) experienced a 160% surge in one day, reaching an all-time high of $0.04131 in November 2023, signaling a potential comeback. Binance's role was pivotal in this resurgence, particularly through its execution of the 15th LUNC token burn, contributing to a total burn exceeding 40 billion LUNC tokens. These burns significantly impacted the scarcity and value of the Terra Luna Classic ecosystem.
Moreover, Terra Classic transactions soared to a record 589,000 in a single day, reflecting renewed user interest and suggesting that the ecosystem is on track for recovery. The staking ratio on Terra Classic has also bounced back above 15%, indicating a positive trend in network usage and staking activities.
TerraClassicUSD (USTC) stablecoin offers several applications within the cryptocurrency ecosystem, providing both utility and investment opportunities:
USTC remains a prominent choice in DeFi platforms. By contributing to USTC liquidity pools, investors can earn passive income through attractive yields. This functionality has become increasingly significant with USTC's rising transaction volumes and renewed interest in the Terra Classic network.
USTC is a base currency for trading pairs on various cryptocurrency exchanges, including KuCoin. Trade TerraClassicUSD token against other cryptos on the KuCoin Spot Market to make the most of market conditions and opportunities. Remember to enter any new trade in the crypto market only after doing your own research.
TerraClassicUSD continues to be an efficient medium for online payments for goods and services. Its stability, especially following recent initiatives to re-stabilize its value, makes it an attractive option for crypto-friendly businesses.
With the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for LUNC staking increasing to 30%, rewarded in USTC, there's a rising interest in staking activities within the Terra Classic ecosystem. This development supports the network's decentralization and provides investors with an opportunity for passive income.
Period | Change | Change (%) |
---|---|---|
Today | $-0.00038 | -1.63% |
7 Days | $-0.00048 | -2.06% |
30 Days | $-0.00082 | -3.49% |
3 Months | $0.00455 | 25.50% |
Here are some reasons why you could consider including $USTC in your crypto portfolio:
Despite its initial conception as a stablecoin, USTC has shown significant price movements, offering investment and profit opportunities. Recent price surges demonstrate its potential as a lucrative investment option within the crypto market.
The Terra Classic community's efforts to push USTC's value beyond the $1 mark, including proposals to re-enable market modules and support from Terra Classic Labs, highlight USTC's central role in the ecosystem's recovery plans.
Staking USTC or participating in DeFi protocols with USTC can offer attractive returns and passive income streams.
With growing transaction volumes and initiatives to re-stabilize USTC, its adoption and acceptance could increase.
While we cannot provide a reliable USTC price prediction, the following factors could help you better understand the volatility in the TerraClassicUSD crypto:
1. Market Sentiment: General investor sentiment towards cryptocurrencies and specific news or developments related to TerraClassicUSD can significantly impact the USTC price.
2. Community Initiatives: Efforts by the Terra Classic community, like token burns or proposals to stabilize USTC, can affect the TerraClassicUSD price.
3. Regulatory Changes: Regulatory decisions impacting cryptocurrencies can influence the USTC crypto price.
4. Adoption and Use Cases: Increased adoption of USTC for payments, trading, or in DeFi platforms can drive the demand and price of USTC token.
5. Overall Crypto Market Trends: The USTC token price is also subject to broader trends in the cryptocurrency market. A positive or bullish sentiment among investors could drive an uptrend in the USTC to USD price. On the other hand, bear market conditions could cause selloffs that weaken the price of TerraClassicUSD crypto.
Before its collapse, TerraUSD (UST), later rebranded as TerraClassicUSD (USTC), was a leading algorithmic stablecoin and the third-largest in the crypto market. The downfall began in early May 2022, when large holders (whales) started withdrawing UST liquidity from Anchor Protocol, a popular DeFi platform offering high returns on UST lending, as high as 19.5%. The platform struggled with an imbalance between lenders and borrowers of UST, rendering its high yields unsustainable.
The panic intensified in May 2022 as UST investors rapidly sold off the stablecoin. The Terra blockchain responded by excessively minting LUNA, attempting to restabilize UST's peg to the US dollar. Unfortunately, this led to a drastic price crash for both LUNA and UST, culminating in the implosion of Terra’s primary crypto assets and investor losses estimated at over $40 billion.
Following these events, Terraform Labs initiated a revival plan, creating a new Terra blockchain (Terra 2.0) and rebranding Terra 1.0 to Terra Classic. LUNA and UST tokens were renamed to LUNA Classic (LUNC) and TerraClassicUSD (USTC), respectively.
As of late 2023, USTC had shown signs of recovery despite facing challenges such as being listed as an unregistered security by the SEC. Its price rose significantly, reaching about $0.03685 by November 28, 2023. Several price predictions for USTC have been made, ranging from $0.0375 to $0.065 by the end of 2023 and even up to $1.03 by 2030.
Despite the past challenges, the Terra Classic ecosystem is showing signs of recovery, with new projects launching and existing projects gaining traction. USTC is slowly regaining its peg to the US dollar, and new use cases are being developed, such as in DeFi and stablecoin swaps. However, it's important to remember that the cryptocurrency market is volatile, and USTC's price could be affected by negative news or developments.
As of December 2023, the circulating supply of TerraClassicUSD (USTC) varies between 8.98 billion and 9.79 billion tokens, with a maximum supply of 10.25 billion USTC tokens. The high circulating supply of USTC has been a significant factor in its prolonged de-pegging from the US dollar.
However, as more tokens are removed from circulation, primarily through token burning initiatives undertaken by the Terra Classic community, there is potential for the market capitalization of USTC to remain supported. This could contribute to the TerraClassicUSD price gradually rebounding to its original peg of $1.
The Terra Classic community's commitment to reducing USTC's supply and the crypto's evolving role in the market are essential factors in its potential recovery. As the Terra Classic ecosystem continues to develop, with new projects emerging and existing ones gaining traction, the demand and use cases for USTC are also expected to evolve. This could further influence the USTC's market capitalization and its path toward stabilizing its value relative to the US dollar.
The key differences between TerraUSD (UST) and TerraClassicUSD (USTC) stablecoins primarily lie in their operational blockchain, peg to USD, and market rank and cap.
UST operated on the original Terra blockchain. Post the market crash in May 2022, Terraform Labs rebranded this blockchain as Terra Classic, and UST was renamed TerraClassicUSD (USTC). A new Terra blockchain was launched, moving away from supporting stablecoins, with a new native digital token called LUNA, while the original LUNA was rebranded as LUNA Classic (LUNC).
UST was a highly popular stablecoin, maintaining a consistent peg to the US dollar until the May 2022 crash. In contrast, USTC has struggled to regain its $1 peg since then. Recently, there have been significant efforts, including a proposal by developer Tobias Andersen (Zaradar), to re-peg USTC to the dollar. This proposal outlines various routes and mechanisms, such as quantitative easing and tightening, to stabilize USTC's value.
Before its collapse, UST was among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap, peaking at over $9 billion. As of December 2023, USTC's market rank stood at 94, with a market cap of approximately $245 million. However, following the release of the re-peg proposal, USTC's price surged significantly, trading at around $0.41, indicating a potential recovery and increased market confidence.
As of December 2023, the journey of TerraClassicUSD (USTC) toward regaining its $1 peg has seen a mix of developments and challenges. The USTC rebranded from TerraUSD (UST) and has struggled to reclaim its peg to the USD since its de-pegging event in May 2022, primarily due to its high circulating supply and reduced adoption compared to its former self.
However, recent developments suggest a potential for USTC's recovery:
1. Price Surge: USTC has experienced a significant price surge, jumping from $0.0167 to $0.06579, a 301% increase. This rally has been driven by a mix of factors, including strategic investments and market optimism.
2. Community Proposals: The Terra Classic community has actively been working on proposals to support USTC's journey back to $1. One such proposal, submitted by the L1 Team, aims to create a test environment for evaluating conditions necessary for a successful USTC re-peg event.
3. Market Dynamics: Recent bullish market dynamics, including a significant rise in USTC's trading volume and market capitalization, indicate growing investor interest and confidence in USTC.
4. Other Positive Developments: Terra Classic Labs' strategic investment in USTC and the listing of USTC on Binance Futures have further bolstered its market presence and potential for recovery.
While one price prediction suggests that USTC could reach $0.49 in the next two years, achieving the $1 mark remains a more challenging goal. The community's efforts and market dynamics are pivotal in shaping USTC's future trajectory. It's important to note that the cryptocurrency market is highly volatile, and while there's optimism within the Terra Classic community, the $1 target for USTC remains speculative and subject to market conditions.
To earn interest on TerraClassicUSD (USTC) holdings, you can follow these steps:
1. Look for crypto platforms offering staking or savings accounts for USTC. These could be centralized exchanges (CEXs), DEXs, DeFi platforms, or other crypto financial services.
2. Compare the Annual Percentage Yield (APY), platform reliability, and other terms like lock-up periods and fees.
3. Sign up on your chosen platform and complete any necessary verification processes.
4. Buy USTC on KuCoin and transfer it to your wallet. Connect your wallet to the platform.
5. Follow the platform's process to stake or deposit your USTC into a savings account to start earning interest.
6. Regularly check your earnings and adjust your strategy as needed.
Complete Tasks to Earn Free Tokens Every Day