- Justin Sun announced Tron’s “Gas Free” feature for USDT transactions will launch within a week
- Tron was once the cheapest blockchain for USDT transfers but fees recently surged to as high as $9
- The new feature will eliminate the need for TRX tokens when paying gas fees for USDT transactions
- Tron plans to expand this gas-free solution to Ethereum and other EVM-compatible blockchains in the future
- Tron is the second largest stablecoin network after Ethereum, adding about $824 million in stablecoin holdings in February 2025
Tron founder Justin Sun announced that USDT stablecoin transactions on the Tron blockchain will soon become fee-free. The “Gas Free” feature, which eliminates the need for TRX tokens when paying gas fees for USDT transfers, is set to launch within the next week according to Sun’s February 25 announcement on X.
“Tron’s Gas Free feature supporting USDT gas payments without the need for TRX will launch within the next week,” Sun wrote. The Tron founder invited teams and wallets that wish to support the gas-free feature for Tether USDT to contact the decentralized autonomous organization JustLend, which is the official lending platform on Tron.
Tron’s Gas Free feature supporting USDT gas payments without the need for TRX will launch within the next week. Teams and wallets wishing to support this feature, please contact support@justlend.org. Keep Building!
— H.E. Justin Sun 🍌 (@justinsuntron) February 25, 2025
This development comes at a time when Tron’s reputation as a cost-effective network for stablecoin transfers has been challenged. Once known as one of the cheapest blockchains for sending USDT, Tron has recently become one of the most expensive options for users.
According to data from Tether’s GasFeesNow page, TRC-20 USDT gas fees are currently the highest among all supported blockchains, estimated between $3.20 and $6.50 per transaction. In comparison, ERC-20 USDT fees on Ethereum are about $0.40, making Ethereum now cheaper than Tron for USDT transfers.
The situation worsened in late 2024 when TRC-20 USDT gas fees surged even higher, reaching above $9 per transaction on December 9, based on Tether’s data. This dramatic increase led to user complaints about Tron no longer being the budget-friendly option it once was for stablecoin transfers.
“USDT on Tron used to be the cheapest option, but they fell behind a lot,” one user commented on X in mid-December, reflecting growing frustration among the community.
The high fees are partly due to how the Tron network handles transactions. As Tether’s GasFeesNow page explains, “Gas fees estimation is tricky for the Tron network,” noting that TRC-20 USDT transfers require wallets to have both “energy” and “bandwidth.” The page further states, “If you are a regular user who sends USDT once or twice per month, chances are your wallet does not have energy,” which contributes to higher transaction costs.
The Tron Foundation has been working on addressing these issues since at least July 2024, developing gas-free TRC-20 transaction tools. Sun had previously planned to introduce these features by the fourth quarter of 2024 but is now accelerating the timeline.
The upcoming gas-free feature represents an evolution in how blockchain networks handle transaction fees. Instead of requiring users to hold native tokens (like TRX) to pay for transactions, the stablecoin itself will cover these costs.
Sun has stated that this approach will “greatly facilitate large companies in deploying stablecoin services on the blockchain, elevating blockchain mass adoption to a new level.” The goal is to make cryptocurrency transactions more accessible to mainstream users and businesses who may be deterred by complex fee structures.
Stablecoin Market
Tron’s position in the stablecoin market makes this change potentially far-reaching. The blockchain is currently the second-largest stablecoin network after Ethereum. In February 2025 alone, Tron experienced major stablecoin inflows, adding approximately $824 million in USDT and USDC holdings.
The network has been a major revenue generator as well. According to data from CoinGecko, Tron generated over $2 billion in revenue during the past year, highlighting its importance in the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Looking ahead, Sun has indicated that the gas-free feature will eventually expand beyond Tron. Future plans include bringing similar functionality to Ethereum and other Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible blockchains, though no timeline has been provided for this expansion.
The accelerated rollout of the gas-free feature aligns with Sun’s recent focus on reducing barriers to blockchain adoption. Last month, he announced that Tron’s development teams were stepping up efforts to reduce fees dramatically across the network.
World Liberty Financial
Sun’s current activities extend beyond just Tron developments. He recently joined World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a DeFi project backed by the President’s family, as an advisor. Additionally, TRON DAO has invested approximately $75 million in WLFI.
This partnership between Tron and WLFI is expected to boost Tron’s presence in the US market and contribute to its growth outlook for 2025. The collaboration comes at a time when regulatory clarity around cryptocurrencies in the United States remains a topic of debate.
For users of the Tron network, the immediate benefit will be the elimination of TRX token requirements for USDT transactions starting next week. Teams and wallets wishing to support the gas-free feature have been invited to contact JustLend for implementation details.
