Tether (USDT) continues to assert its dominance as the premier stablecoin in the cryptocurrency market as of February 16, 2026. The token's market capitalization has expanded significantly, reflecting a growing global demand for digital dollar liquidity, particularly in emerging markets suffering from high local inflation. Tether's role as the primary quote currency across centralized and decentralized exchanges remains unchallenged, providing essential liquidity that smooths out volatility in the broader crypto assets. Recent transparency reports regarding Tether's reserve composition, heavily weighted towards short-term US Treasuries, have bolstered investor confidence in the peg's stability. In the current market climate, USDT is seeing increased utility beyond simple trading pairs. It is increasingly being used for cross-border remittances and payment settlements in jurisdictions where traditional banking infrastructure is slow or expensive. While regulatory scrutiny regarding stablecoin issuance remains a perennial topic of discussion, Tether's proactive engagement with global compliance standards appears to have mitigated immediate legal risks. For traders, the stability of USDT represents a safe harbor during periods of market turbulence, and its circulating supply changes continue to serve as a leading indicator for capital inflows into the wider crypto ecosystem.