The Legacy Mesh
The Legacy Mesh: Cross-Chain Transfers Connecting USDT and USDT0
As USDT0 expands to new chains, users still need a way to move liquidity between chains where USDT has already been deployed. To solve this, USDT0 has introduced the Legacy Mesh: a cross-chain liquidity infrastructure that connects legacy USDT deployments with the USDT0 omnichain ecosystem through a shared, non-custodial hub.
What Is the Legacy Mesh?
The Legacy Mesh uses a hub-and-spoke architecture to route stablecoin liquidity between networks that do not natively support USDT0. These include widely adopted chains like Tron and TON, which have large native USDT supplies but do not yet support the OFT standard or native USDT0 minting.
Meanwhile, Ethereum is integrated directly into the USDT0 infrastructure and Arbitrum serves as the central hub for the entire Legacy Mesh, with liquidity pools facilitating two-way conversions between USDT and USDT0.
Through this system, the Legacy Mesh connects:
Ethereum (native USDT via ERC-20)
Tron (native USDT via TRC-20)
TON (native USDT via TON token format)
Arbitrum (canonical USDT0 hub)
Any chain with native USDT0 integration
The above architecture allows users to move value seamlessly between previously siloed networks, with all USDT0 backed by real, redeemable assets on both sides of the transfer. This extends the utility of USDT and eliminates the need for fragmented pools, wrapped tokens, and synthetic stablecoin representations.
More chains may be added to the mesh over time, and each integration will further strengthe the network and further unifies the stablecoin experience.
Why The Legacy Mesh Matters
The Legacy Mesh solves a fundamental coordination problem: how do you unify fragmented liquidity across legacy systems without forcing a disruptive migration? The answer is to create a seamless path between classic's stablecoin deployments and today’s omnichain reality, without requiring the market to choose one over the other.
Benefits to this approach include:
Unified Liquidity Across Legacy and New Chains: Native USDT deployments represent billions in circulating supply and real-world usage. The Legacy Mesh makes that liquidity accessible to newer ecosystems built around USDT0, without needing immediate full-stack upgrades.
Future-Proof Interoperability: Not all chains are ready to support USDT0 natively. The Legacy Mesh lets them interoperate today, while preserving the option to upgrade to full OFT-based deployment when they are ready, with minimal disruption.
Fully-Backed Liquidity: Every transfer through the mesh is backed by real assets, either via liquidity pools or direct mint/burn mechanisms. This minimizes depeg risk and ensures maximum capital efficiency.
How The Legacy Mesh Works
In the meantime, manually transfers through the Legacy Mesh are also simple and seamless. Let’s walk through an example where we move USDT from Tron to Ink.
Select Source and Destination Chains: On the USDT0 Transfer Hub, choose Tron (USDT) as your source chain and Arbitrum (USDT0) as your destination. You’ll be prompted to connect a compatible wallet for each chain.
Transfer USDT to Arbitrum: Transfer of your TRC-20 USDT to Arbitrum through the Legacy Mesh. These pools are audited and transparently collateralised to ensure fast USDT movements.
Transfer to Final Destination: Once on Arbitrum, your USDT0 can then be transferred using LayerZero’s OFT protocol, which burns tokens on Arbitrum and mints the exact amount on Ink.
Enjoy Native USDT0: Once received, the USDT0 is ready to use in any compatible app or protocol. You can lend it, swap it, or use it for payments, just like native USDT.
This same process can be used to move USDT from Arbitrum to any other USDT0 chains. And soon, you will only need to select your source and destination chains and the Legacy Mesh will handle the rest.
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