TL;DR:
- Tether announced the launch of GELT, a stablecoin pegged to the Georgian lari, with official backing from the government of Georgia.
- Georgia’s regulatory framework was designed to achieve compatibility with U.S. regulation, including the GENIUS Act.
- Tether continues to bet on sovereign stablecoins. GELT follows MXNT, EURT and the recent USAT for the North American market.
Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, announced the launch of GELT, a stablecoin that digitally represents the Georgian lari. The project has the direct backing of the government of Georgia and is one of the first joint efforts between a private company and a state to place a national currency on blockchain infrastructure under a regulatory framework specifically designed for that purpose.
GELT is conceived to function as a digital representation of the lari, offering lower transaction costs, near-instant settlement and programmable payments. According to the official announcement, the initiative aims to facilitate cross-border trade, fintech development and access to programmable financial infrastructure in Georgia and the region.
Tether and the Government of Georgia to Launch GEL₮, the Official Stablecoin of Georgiahttps://t.co/ueSLlJzot1
— Tether (@tether) May 25, 2026
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze declared that, together with partners like Tether, Georgia is “laying the foundations for a more connected, transparent and digitally empowered financial world.” For her part, the President of the National Bank of Georgia, Natia Turnava, indicated that the institution welcomes collaboration with innovators from around the world as part of its strategy to advance toward a digital financial infrastructure aligned with international standards.
GELT: Maximum Regulatory Compatibility
Georgia’s regulatory framework was designed to achieve substantive compatibility with emerging U.S. regulation, particularly with the GENIUS Act, positioning the country among the first to seek direct regulatory interoperability with the United States’ digital asset framework. Stablecoins are no longer a niche financial instrument; the regulatory clarity Georgia offers creates the foundation for real innovation and adoption.
Tether Keeps Betting on National Stablecoins
Tether continues to advance its strategy of stablecoins pegged to specific national currencies. The company introduced MXNT, anchored to the Mexican peso, in May 2022. Years earlier it had launched EURT, its euro-denominated version, although it discontinued it in November 2025 due to regulatory changes in Europe. At the beginning of 2026, it formalized USAT for the U.S. market following the approval of the GENIUS Act in Congress. USDT, its flagship product with a market capitalization of approximately $190 billion, is not available to customers in the United States.
Details on GELT’s structure, implementation timeline and regulatory aspects will be disclosed at a later date.
