@Polkadot is moving closer to launching its own native stablecoin. The network's decentralized governance system, OpenGov, is currently voting on $dotUSD, a proposed dollar-pegged asset designed to be owned by the protocol itself rather than by any private issuer.

What Is dotUSD?

Submitted as OpenGov Referendum 1944, the proposal would create dotUSD as a protocol-owned asset and designate it as Polkadot's native stable-value instrument. The proposal matters because Polkadot applications and treasury operations currently rely on external stablecoins. A native stablecoin could reduce that dependency while giving $DOT a direct role in collateralized borrowing and liquidity.

The proposal splits its rollout into two phases, starting with a simpler USDT-backed version and only later graduating to the DOT-collateralized model that developers actually intend for the long run. In the first phase, users would mint dotUSD against USDT on a one-to-one basis, subject to a supply cap. This version would not require the oracle, collateral vaults or liquidation system planned for the later DOT-backed model. Phase two would introduce DOT-backed collateral vaults, an oracle, a stability pool, liquidations and a redemption mechanism. In return for providing capital, stability pool participants would receive liquidated DOT at a discount while the corresponding dotUSD is burned to cancel the outstanding debt.

The proposal also calls for Polkadot Treasury funds to provide initial liquidity for a DOT/dotUSD pool on Asset Hub's decentralized exchange.

Strong Community Backing

The proposal has received strong support so far, with 97.6% of votes cast in favor and 2.4% against. Around 2.39 million $DOT has been counted on the Aye side from 31 voters, compared with about 59,900 DOT from nine voters.

The proposal was drafted by community members across the Polkadot ecosystem and submitted via the Polkadot Community Foundation. PCF's role is limited to putting the proposal forward for a vote, and it will not deploy, operate, control, or custody dotUSD.

This is not the first time Polkadot's community has pushed for a homegrown stablecoin. An earlier DOT-backed stablecoin proposal called pUSD won more than 75% support in 2025 and secured over $5.6 million in committed DOT, showing that appetite for a native dollar asset on Polkadot has been building for some time. The stablecoin proposal also comes after Polkadot changed the economics of $DOT, including the introduction of a fixed maximum supply. The DAO approved a 2.1 billion DOT cap in September 2025, replacing the network's previous model of uncapped issuance.

Sources:
Crypto Times: Polkadot OpenGov Votes on Native dotUSD Stablecoin
Crypto.news: Polkadot Community Votes on DOT-Backed Native Stablecoin dotUSD
Cryptonomist: Polkadot Native Stablecoin dotUSD Garners 97.5% Support