Tether is preparing to launch a U.S.-based stablecoin as soon as this year, as its CEO ramps up his presence in Washington to shape crypto regulation. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino revealed that the company is working on plans to issue a new dollar-pegged stablecoin in the U.S. as soon as this year. The move comes as Tether, once accused of being a criminal’s ‘go-to cryptocurrency’ – rebrands itself as a partner to American lawmakers and law enforcement. “A domestic stablecoin would be different from the international stable coin,” Ardoino told. “It depends on the timeline of the final legislation… but we are looking at that by the end of the year, or early next year at the fastest,” he said. Tether, whose tokens represent 70% of the stablecoin market, is currently dominant on offshore exchanges, emerging markets and decentralized finance protocols, where fiat banking access is constrained or unreliable.