As of early 2026, Plasma has cemented its position as a "stablecoin-native" Layer-1, designed specifically to handle high-volume USDT and USDC payments with zero fees. Backed by industry heavyweights like Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino and Framework Ventures, the network recently integrated with the NEAR Intents network. This move allows Plasma to facilitate seamless cross-chain stablecoin settlements across 25+ different blockchains, positioning $XPL not just as a gas token, but as the collateral backbone for a new global "neobank" infrastructure called Plasma One.
