Tether and Georgia Partner to Launch GEL₮, a Government-Backed Lari Stablecoin!

Tether has announced plans to launch GEL₮, a stablecoin pegged to the Georgian lari, developed in partnership with the Government of Georgia. The move marks one of the first instances of a national government directly backing a stablecoin built on digital asset rails, positioning Georgia as an early mover in sovereign-aligned stablecoin issuance.

GEL₮ is designed to cut transaction costs, enable near-instant settlement, support programmable payments, and facilitate digital value transfer. Georgia has built out a dedicated regulatory framework covering reserve management, redemption rights, issuer oversight, and AML compliance — and has explicitly sought alignment with emerging U.S. stablecoin legislation, including the GENIUS Act.

The alignment with U.S.