Citrea Launches ctUSD Stablecoin to Power Bitcoin-Native Liquidity

Citrea has announced the launch of Citrea USD (ctUSD), a U.S. dollar–denominated stablecoin backed 1:1 by short-term U.S. Treasury bills and cash. The token is issued by Moonpay and built on M0’s universal stablecoin platform, positioning ctUSD as native liquidity infrastructure for the bitcoin ecosystem.

Designed to Bridge Onchain Bitcoin and Offchain Fiat Rails

ctUSD is designed to unify onchain bitcoin collateral with offchain fiat payment rails, aiming to reduce liquidity fragmentation across crypto markets. By leveraging Moonpay’s network of more than 30 million verified users, the stablecoin offers immediate access to deep global liquidity.

Global Availability With Regional Restrictions

The stablecoin will be available to users across the United States, excluding New York, and in more than 160 countries worldwide. Availability excludes Canada and the European Economic Area, reflecting regulatory boundaries rather than technical limitations.

Seamless Payments and Onramps Through Moonpay Infrastructure

ctUSD supports instant buying and selling through major payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal where regionally available. It also offers virtual accounts and banking rails through Moonpay’s Iron infrastructure, extending access beyond traditional crypto onramps.

Cross-Chain Swaps and Merchant Payments Built In

The stablecoin integrates Swaps.xyz for cross-chain asset swaps and Helio for merchant payments, enabling ctUSD to function across multiple blockchain environments while remaining anchored to bitcoin-focused liquidity use cases.

Citrea Leadership Signals Early Liquidity Formation

Orkun Kilic, co-founder and CEO of Chainway Labs, stated that liquidity on Citrea is already beginning to take shape, highlighting early momentum around ctUSD’s role within the ecosystem.

Compliance Anchors ctUSD’s Global Distribution

Access and distribution of ctUSD follow Moonpay’s compliance framework, including U.S. money-transmitter licensing across 49 states excluding New York, MiCA approval pathways in Europe, and registration with the UK Financial Conduct Authority where applicable.

ctUSD Targets a Unified Bitcoin-Centric Financial Layer

By combining regulated fiat access, treasury-backed stability, and bitcoin-native infrastructure, ctUSD aims to establish a unified liquidity layer that connects traditional finance and the bitcoin ecosystem without sacrificing compliance or usability.