TerraUSD (UST) is a decentralized and algorithmically pegged stablecoin native to the Terra blockchain. The UST stablecoin maintains a peg to the US dollar which is held steady through smart contract powered algorithms that mint or burn LUNA based on changes in demand.

Although one of the newest entrants into the market, the DeFi boom has helped TerraUSD become one of the largest stablecoins by market cap among digital assets. Multiple integrations with other blockchain ecosystems has also increased the use, circulating supply and market cap of the UST stablecoin, driving up its popularity and making LUNA more valuable.

In February 2022, the Terra blockchain’s founder, Do Kwon, shot into the limelight when he bought $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin. Following this move, the Luna Foundation Guard has committed to buying $10 billion worth of Bitcoin as reserves to back the value of the TerraUSD.

As of April 2022, Terra has the second largest TVL for DeFi applications in the market, next only to Ethereum, although it supports only 28 protocols in this space. One of the reasons for this is the Anchor Protocol, which accounts for over 50% of the market share.

The Anchor Protocol offers an APY of almost 19.5% on UST deposits, making the Terra stablecoin a popular digital asset to hold among DeFi investors.

South Korea's Terraform Labs, the firm behind the development of the Terra ecosystem, ensures that the TerraUSD price remains as close to the US dollar as possible despite market volatility with the help of LUNA - the blockchain’s native digital asset. This stablecoin employs a different mechanism from several of its popular rivals through the use of algorithms instead of being backed by actual dollar reserves.

An increase in demand for the UST causes the algorithms to increase the burn rate of LUNA tokens to maintain the peg to the USD. On the other hand, if the demand for TerraUSD falls in the market, more LUNA tokens are minted to dynamically adjust the circulating supply and price of the stablecoin and keep it close to that of the USD.

To match the rising demand of its stablecoin, the Terra protocol mints new UST by burning LUNA. The decline in supply of LUNA ensures the UST price remains pegged to the USD while adding to the circulating supply of TerraUSD.

The Terra blockchain employs a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism where miners stake LUNA to counter volatility in the TerraUSD peg. The Terra blockchain employs a seigniorage process to maintain the price stability of its stablecoin even as its total supply fluctuates in the market.

The Terra blockchain was initially created in January 2018 with a purpose of increasing adoption of cryptocurrencies as a payment method across the world. This led to the establishment of the Terra Alliance, consisting of 15 large e-commerce businesses across Asia to bootstrap the development of the Terra network infrastructure.

The Terra blockchain was founded by Do Kwon and Daniel Shin in April 2019 along with its native token LUNA. The TerraUSD stablecoin followed several months later, in September 2020.

In less than two years since its launch, the stablecoin has gone to rank as the third largest stablecoin by market capitalization, overtaking established players including BUSD and DAI. Right from its inception, Terra visualized the UST to function as an interchain digital asset, operating on multiple blockchain ecosystems and allowing DeFi to scale.

Terra decided to launch the UST stablecoin following the success of its other stablecoin based on the Korean won, TerraKRW and an MNT-pegged stablecoin, TerraMNT. The soaring adoption of these stablecoin offerings as payment solutions across businesses in Asia led to the development and launch of the TerraUSD, which was pegged to the US dollar.

UST stablecoin is available for purchase on leading cryptocurrency exchanges, DeFi platforms and digital wallets. It is extremely convenient to buy TerraUSD on KuCoin by following the steps given below:

1, Register for a KuCoin Account

Sign up for an account on KuCoin, if you are new to our platform. Do remember to complete all the steps for your KYC verification to access all features our platform has to offer.

2, Buy Crypto to Start Trading UST

Head over to KuCoin Fast Trade to convert your trading capital from fiat currency into crypto. You can pick from more than 70 payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, SEPA and Paypal.

You can also buy crypto via the KuCoin P2P service or directly from third-party sellers.

3, Buy UST on KuCoin With Existing Crypto

You can also transfer your existing cryptocurrency holdings into your KuCoin trading account to exchange TerraUSD with. Simply send your funds from your external wallet into your KuCoin trading account to fund it.

4, Trade UST/USDT on KuCoin

Once you have funds in your account, head over to the KuCoin Spot Trading section to trade the UST/USDT crypto pair. Enter the amount of USDT you wish to use to buy TerraUSD here.

Verify the number of UST coins you will receive and the trading fees you will be charged before confirming your trade. Make sure you check the latest UST price, market cap and 24 hour trading volume data before placing the trade.

5, Store UST Safely

Your trading account will receive the UST coins you have bought a few minutes after the successful execution of your order. You can then choose to keep your UST holdings within KuCoin or transfer them into an external wallet for additional security.

TerraUSD is a stablecoin whose value is pegged to that of the US dollar, protecting it against the price volatility that most other cryptocurrencies experience. While the peg may vary slightly in extreme market conditions, the algorithmic mechanism of the Terra blockchain will bring back its value to the USD quickly, making any changes in UST price temporary.

As a result, the UST stablecoin is a safe digital asset to buy and use, especially as a payment method. Since its value remains stable, there is no worry of a sudden decline in UST price which can cause a loss in your portfolio.

In this manner, the TerraUSD is a safe instrument to invest in and use, especially for digital transactions.

The TerraUSD stablecoin is seeing rising adoption and interest among crypto investors, especially within the DeFi domain. With its market cap climbing higher on the back of increasing integrations between the Terra community and other blockchains, the UST token is becoming an even more versatile asset to invest in.

Lending liquidity in UST pools also offers attractive returns, making it even more valuable as a digital asset to include in your portfolio. Make sure you look for the right platform which is trustworthy and has adequate security to safeguard your cryptocurrency when participating in such opportunities.

What differentiates UST from other stablecoins is that it is decentralized in operations. This makes its management and price stability mechanism automated, unlike other peers which have a central authority that holds reserves to maintain the peg of their stablecoins.

You can use TerraUSD in several ways, including:

➢ Lending Liquidity in DeFi

Most platforms offer attractive yields and returns on lending liquidity to UST pools. Simply lock your UST holdings for a specific period of time in the liquidity pool to generate a lucrative stream of passive income and make your UST investment work for you.

➢ Trade Other Cryptocurrencies

Several exchanges have started offering crypto pairs with TerraUSD as the base currency. Owing to its rising popularity and use among investors, there are many cryptocurrency pairs enjoying high liquidity with UST as the base pair. Sell TerraUSD to buy other digital currencies in exchange for the UST after assessing their price, market cap, 24 hour trading volume and other relevant data.

➢ Payment Method

Making online payments for the purchase of goods and services using TerraUSD is extremely convenient. For businesses that support crypto payments, using a stablecoin such as the UST is far more convenient than using other crypto assets for transactions.

➢ Digital Payment Transfers

In addition, the low transaction fees on the Terra blockchain also make it a cost effective way to transfer money to users anywhere in the world. Simply send UST from your wallet to other users’ crypto wallets to conduct fast and cheap transactions.

You can generate a stream of passive revenue by staking UST. Several leading crypto platforms offer attractive passive income potential on your TerraUSD holdings.

Staking UST on Anchor Protocol, one of the Leading DeFi protocols on the Terra ecosystem, offers the highest returns for investors. As of April 2022, the rate of interest stands at just under 19.50%.

Add your TerraUSD coins to your wallet or to Terra Station. Go to the Earn page on Anchor Protocol’s Deposit section. Input the number of UST coins you wish to deposit and earn interest here.

You can then sign the transaction with Station Extension to confirm it. Sit back and wait for interest to accrue on your UST crypto.