Plasma raises $500 million, partners with Aave to transform stablecoin market

Plasma, a blockchain platform focused on stablecoin infrastructure, is making waves across the crypto space for raising $500 million through its XPL token offering and securing a strategic partnership with DeFi giant Aave in the last 24 hours.

The Aave collaboration will see Plasma integrate the DeFi protocol’s lending and liquidity infrastructure to distribute USDT to institutional clients and underserved markets worldwide. At launch, Plasma will also support Aave’s native stablecoin, GHO.

Plasma confirmed that its network is already operational with Aave, allowing participants in its deposit program to begin earning real yield directly through the protocol.

Plasma operates as a Bitcoin sidechain with full Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility and is engineered for speed and efficiency.

According to its official documentation, the platform is positioning itself as a high-performance settlement layer optimized for fee-free USDT transfers and cross-border payments. It also aims to streamline remittances and DeFi services globally.

Plasma’s XPL token will be the network’s native currency, powering transactions and governance.

Investors pour $500 million into Plasma’s XPL

Plasma’s rapid rise follows a record-setting initial coin offering (ICO) that concluded on June 9.

The sale generated $500 million in stablecoin deposits within minutes of going live on Sonar, a public token sale platform created by crypto startup Echo.

Blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence noted that the fundraiser was “10x oversubscribed, and one guy spent $100K on gas just to get in.”

According to Arkham Intelligence data, a wallet linked to Plasma currently holds $500 million in stablecoins. These include $345.2 million in USDC, $146.09 million in USDT, $7.5 million in USDS, and $1.21 million in DAI.

Plasma Foundation stated that more than 1,100 wallets participated in the fundraiser, with a median allocation of around $35,000 per wallet.

While Plasma attracted $500 million in deposits, a team member clarified that the project will only release $50 million worth of XPL tokens during this initial phase. Depositors can purchase tokens in future sales or withdraw their funds, earning yield in the interim.

Market observers say the strong demand highlights rising interest in stablecoins and the infrastructure supporting them.

However, the ICO has not been without controversy. Crypto trader Hanzo alleged that over 100 wallets involved in the sale received 48 million USDC through Coinbase Premium shortly before the offering.

He also claimed that certain wallets interacted with the token contract before it became public, suggesting possible insider involvement.

Mentioned in this article