Brian Mehler launches Stable, a Layer 1 blockchain using USDT as native gas with PayPal Ventures and Anchorage Digital backing
Dec 8, 2025 with Brian Mehler
Key Points
- Stable launches a Layer 1 blockchain that uses USDT as native gas, eliminating the friction of acquiring separate tokens to pay transaction fees.
- PayPal Ventures and Anchorage Digital back the network, positioning it as a faster and cheaper settlement rail for the stablecoin that dominates 70-80% of global stablecoin volume.
- Mehler argues the opportunity lies in institutional and consumer frustration with legacy payment rails, citing limits on weekend wire transfers and Monday settlement delays.
Summary
Brian Mehler, CEO of Stable, is building a Layer 1 blockchain purpose-built for payments, with the network launching on the day of this conversation. Backers include PayPal Ventures and Anchorage Digital, and Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, serves as an adviser.
The core differentiator
Most L1s require users to hold a native token to pay gas fees — a friction point that Stable eliminates by making USDT the native gas token. Given that USDT accounts for roughly 70–80% of stablecoin volume globally, the pitch is that users already hold it and never need to acquire a separate asset just to move money. Mehler frames Ethereum's gas model as slow, expensive, and volatile, and positions Stable as a faster, cheaper alternative rail for USDT transactions.
Relationship with Tether
Stable isn't competing with Tether — it's positioning as an additional chain on which USDT runs. Mehler describes the relationship as amplifying Tether's reach by offering a venue that settles faster and more cheaply than existing options.
Market context
Mehler acknowledges the crowded field — Solana, Tempo, Hyperliquid, and others are all chasing payments — but argues the real opportunity is consumer and institutional frustration with legacy rails. His example: wiring more than $2,000 on a weekend isn't possible through Zelle or Venmo, and bank wires don't settle until Monday. Stablecoins, in his framing, are the obvious fix.
The launch is a mainnet go-live, not just a fundraise announcement, and Mehler describes the company as already past the build phase and into execution. No funding amount was disclosed in the conversation.