Share this article

Libra Plans Dollar-Pegged Stablecoin Launch in January 2021: Report

Libra might eventually get off the ground as early as January albeit in a more limited format.

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 10:35 a.m. Published Nov 27, 2020, 6:20 a.m.
Facebook Libra

Libra, the Facebook-initiated stablecoin project that's been targeted continuously by lawmakers, might get off the ground as early as January 2021, albeit in a more limited format than the original multi-currency basket envisioned.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

According to a report by the Financial Times on Friday, instead, Libra may launch a single dollar-pegged stablecoin next year, according to “three people involved in the initiative."

The global stablecoin project was initially proposed to be pegged to a basket composed of multiple fiat currencies, but was walked back by project leaders in April as a result of regulatory pressure from lawmakers in the U.S. and abroad.

The project's leaders announced Libra could launch as a series of stablecoins, each pegged to a fiat currency, rather than one multi-currency basket during that revamp.

Now, Libra's “global stablecoin” will simply launch as a single coin backed 1:1 by the U.S. dollar, according to the FT, pending approval from the Swiss financial regulator FINMA.

The other currencies within the basket and the composite may still be rolled out at a later time. The dollar-pegged coin could launch as soon as January, according to FT, which did not name its sources.

Facebook unveiled the Libra project in June 2019, announcing its vision for the global stablecoin.

It immediately faced regulatory backlash from lawmakers worldwide, who cited concerns about Libra's potential to threaten financial stability or enable money laundering.

The social media giant helped form the Libra Association, a governing council for the project, later that year. It now has 27 members.

See also: Libra Association Taps Saumya Bhavsar as General Counsel for Payments Subsidiary

While its limited form, as a 1:1 peg to the U.S. dollar might placate policymakers, the project still faces a significant uphill battle as regulators seek to clamp down on the digital payments industry and hold senders and receivers to account for their transactions.

Spokespeople for the Libra Association did not immediately return a request for comment.

More For You

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

What to know:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

Mais para você

Asia Morning Briefing: Fed Cut Brings Little Volatility as Bitcoin Waits for Japan

Aerial view of Tokyo (Jaison Lin/Unsplash, modified by CoinDesk)

CryptoQuant data shows seller exhaustion as whales pull back from exchanges, while traders prepare for a closely watched BOJ meeting that could influence global liquidity.

O que saber:

  • Bitcoin remains stable above $91,000 as the Federal Reserve cuts rates by 25 basis points.
  • Market attention shifts to Japan, where a rate hike is expected at the upcoming Bank of Japan meeting.
  • Gold prices rise following the Fed's rate cut, while silver hits a record due to strong demand and tight supply.