Key highlights:
- MetaMask has officially announced its own stablecoin, MetaMask USD (mUSD), though it has not launched yet.
- mUSD will be issued by Stripe-owned Bridge and backed 1:1 by U.S. cash and Treasuries, with minting supported by decentralized protocol M0.
- The stablecoin is set to debut later this year on Ethereum and Linea, with real-world spending via the MetaMask Card expected by year-end.
MetaMask, the world’s leading self-custodial crypto wallet developed by Consensys, has officially unveiled MetaMask USD (mUSD), its native stablecoin. While the stablecoin is not yet live, the announcement confirms earlier speculation triggered by a briefly posted governance proposal that hinted at its development.
This marks the first time a self-custodial crypto wallet has introduced its own stablecoin, underscoring MetaMask’s broader push to streamline user experience and deepen its role in decentralized finance.
A stablecoin designed for native wallet integration
mUSD is set to be fully backed 1:1 by U.S. cash and short-duration Treasuries and will be issued by Bridge, a Stripe-owned stablecoin infrastructure platform. Minting will occur through M0, a decentralized protocol purpose-built for composability and transparency.
Unlike most stablecoins that are issued independently and later integrated into wallets, mUSD is designed to be native to MetaMask from the outset. “It’s not just a store of value, but a stablecoin designed to power every part of the MetaMask experience: ramping, swapping, bridging, and spending,” MetaMask stated.
The stablecoin will initially launch on Ethereum and Linea (Consensys’s EVM-equivalent Layer 2 network) and is expected to be deeply integrated across MetaMask’s DeFi ecosystem. According to the company, mUSD will serve as a default dollar-denominated unit within its platform.
Bridging compliance, composability, and utility
Bridge CEO Zach Abrams noted that the firm’s issuance technology dramatically reduces the time required to bring a new stablecoin to market, from over a year to just weeks. M0 co-founder Luca Prosperi added that mUSD’s design emphasizes programmability and liquidity across chains, positioning it to better meet the needs of developers and users alike.
The infrastructure behind mUSD is built to provide real-time transparency of reserves and to comply with evolving regulatory standards. Its release comes shortly after the U.S. GENIUS Act was passed, offering a clearer framework for issuers like MetaMask.
Launch timeline and future integrations
While MetaMask has not yet revealed an exact launch date or initial issuance size, the stablecoin is slated to go live later this year. At launch, users will be able to on-ramp, hold, transfer, swap, and bridge mUSD directly within the MetaMask wallet.
Additionally, MetaMask plans to enable real-world spending through its upcoming MetaMask Card, which will allow users to use mUSD at millions of Mastercard-accepting merchants. This feature is expected to roll out by the end of 2025. MetaMask product lead Gal Eldar said:
Source: https://coincodex.com/article/71812/metamask-announces-musd-stablecoin-ahead-of-expected-launch-later-this-year/
