On January 3, Ethena Labs announced its roadmap for 2025, introducing a Telegram-based payments and savings app using its sUSDe stablecoin.
The platform aims to provide a digital banking experience directly on Telegram.
Ethena’s Roadmap Sets Out Ambitious Plans for Traditional Finance Adoption
According to routethe app on Telegram will allow users to send, spend and save sUSDe directly within the messaging app. The app will also integrate with Apple Pay, allowing for seamless switching between sUSDe savings and mobile payments.
At the same time, Ethena’s roadmap also proposed a strategy to compete with Tether by transitioning from a single asset issuance to Ethena Network, a platform for on-chain financial innovation.
“Instead of competing directly with payments companies on their home turf, we intend to address the payments and savings use case through building a dedicated app on Telegram and within the system. TON ecosystem,” Ethena Labs wrote.
A key part of this transition is the planned launch of iUSDe in February. iUSDe will be built on Ethena’s synthetic sUSDe, and will include Token-level transfer restrictions through “contracts”. simple wrap”.
The top priority for the first quarter of 2025 is to partner with traditional financial institutions to distribute iUSDe to their customers. Ethereum is expected to announce these partnerships by the end of January.
Ethena achieved incredible growth in the cryptocurrency sector, becoming the 2nd fastest protocol to surpass $100 million in revenue, in just 251 days.
This puts Ethena behind the Meme Coin platform on Solana, Pump.fun, which reached the same milestone in 217 days.
In 2024, Ethena introduced many important innovations, including the launch of stablecoin USDtb in December, which is 90% backed by BlackRock’s BUIDL fund.
Unlike USDe, USDtb has a cash equivalent reserve model, providing scalable and unrestricted transfers to enhance market stability.
The company also partnered with Trump-backed World Liberty Financial (WLFI), regarding a governance proposal it is considering. If approved, sUSDe, a staked version of USDe, will serve as primary collateral on WLFI’s Aave application.
Additionally, Ethena’s native token, ENA, has seen strong growth since December. The altcoin is up 33% in the past week, including a 15% increase following the roadmap announcement.
The roadmap also hints at multiple stablecoin-powered products expected to launch this quarter, including perpetual products, prediction markets, gamble financial platforms, and uncollateralized lending.
These developments are in line with Ethena’s goal to expand its presence in the DeFi ecosystem.
