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What is Agora Coin (AUSD): Top 5 Ways to Spend It in 2026
Agora (AUSD) is a fully reserved US dollar stablecoin built for institutions and businesses, with reserves managed by VanEck and held in custody at State Street. The project launched in July 2024, and in July 2025 Agora raised a $50 million Series A led by Paradigm.
Outside DeFi, there are also practical ways to spend AUSD. Holders can use it for travel, physical collectibles, gift cards and even early-stage token sales. One of the most useful options is travel. Through Epic, AUSD holders can book hotels and flights up to 30% cheaper than Booking.com. New users can also claim $25 off their first booking.
Key Takeaways
- Epic is one of the simplest places to spend AUSD, letting holders book hotels and flights at rates up to 30% below Booking.com. New users can also claim $25 off their first booking.
- Inside its own ecosystem, AUSD is used for transfers, payments, lending collateral, and yield markets on networks such as Ethereum, Sui, and Monad, backed 1:1 by cash and short-term US Treasuries.
- AUSD holders can purchase physical collectibles on Polkastarter, from rare trading cards and graded items to sealed products and video games.
- Coinsbee brings AUSD into everyday spending, letting holders buy gift cards, prepaid vouchers, and mobile top-ups from 5,000+ brands in 185+ countries.
- AUSD can also be used for early-stage token sales on CoinTerminal, with participation starting at $100.
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What Is Agora Coin (AUSD)?
AUSD is a fully reserved digital dollar from Agora, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar and issued by Agora Bermuda Limited under a licence from the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Agora was founded in 2023 by Nick van Eck, Drake Evans, and Joe McGrady, with backing from Paradigm, Dragonfly, Wintermute, and Galaxy.
The token runs on Ethereum and several other networks, such as Sui, Monad, Fraxtal, and Immutable zkEVM, and has been listed on CoinMarketCap since August 2024.
AUSD has no fixed maximum supply, because new tokens are minted and redeemed against reserves, and around 218 million are currently in circulation. It trades on Kraken against the US dollar. Its main roles are payments, transfers, and settlement, and it also serves as collateral in DeFi lending.
How Does Agora Work?
Each AUSD is backed by a reserve fund of cash, short-term US Treasury securities, and overnight reverse repurchase agreements. VanEck manages the reserves, State Street holds them in custody, and a monthly transparency report shows what sits behind the supply.
Institutions mint new AUSD by depositing dollars and redeem it to take dollars back, while other holders can keep, send, and trade it on supported chains. Agora also lets businesses launch their own branded stablecoins on top of AUSD and share in the reserve economics.
For holders, AUSD itself works as a dollar that moves on-chain. It is used for transfers, payments, and settlement, and as collateral on lending platforms.
What I like about AUSD is that you can see what's behind it. VanEck manages the reserves, State Street holds them, and there's a monthly report on what backs the supply. If you just want a dollar you can send on-chain without guessing, that's the part that matters most.
1. Book Discounted Hotels and Flights With AUSD on Epic
AUSD also has a use beyond just holding the token, with Epic allowing holders to book hotels and flights at rates up to 30% below Booking.com.
Epic gives access to more than 2 million properties worldwide, so you can compare stays by your destination, budget, and preferences. Payment is flexible too: the platform supports more than 200 cryptocurrencies, AUSD among them, alongside Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
You can also earn up to 8% cashback in XRP when you book hotels and flights through Epic, giving travellers another way to save on their trips.
New users can also get $25 off their first booking.
Epic is a good fit if you travel a lot and hold AUSD. You choose the hotel or the flight, pay with your AUSD at checkout, and it can cost up to 30% less than on Booking.com. The XRP cashback you get on every booking is a nice bonus.
Book your next hotel for up to 30% less
2. Buy Physical Collectibles With AUSD on Polkastarter
If you would rather use your AUSD for something tangible, Polkastarter offers a way to do just that. The marketplace offers rare trading cards, graded items, sealed products, video games, and other physical collectibles. Items can be sent to you or sold back on the platform.
AUSD is not available as a direct payment option, so you will need to convert it to a supported cryptocurrency, such as USDC, first. You can do this on an exchange like Kraken. Then, connect your wallet to Polkastarter, pick a collectible you like, and pay with the converted crypto.
You can check the Polkastarter marketplace to see what's currently available.
What stands out to me about Polkastarter is that everything you buy there is physical. If you're into trading cards, graded collectibles, sealed products or video games, you can pay for them with crypto and either have them shipped to you or sell them back whenever you're ready.
3. Use AUSD for Transfers and DeFi Across Its Supported Networks
The most direct use for AUSD is inside the on-chain economy it was built for. Holders send it as a digital dollar, use it for payments and settlement, and put it to work in DeFi on networks such as Ethereum, Sui, and Monad.
On lending platforms, AUSD serves as collateral or as the settlement asset for on-chain credit. On Monad, it is used in Pendle yield markets and has grown into one of the largest stablecoins on the network. Businesses can also launch their own branded stablecoin on top of AUSD.
The list of networks changes over time. On 3 April 2026, Agora began winding down AUSD issuance on Injective, ending new minting and rewards there, with tokens on that network redeemable at par until 28 September 2026. In July 2026, Agora also launched a beta API for institutions that need fast money movement.
What I like about AUSD is that it's built for things you actually do on-chain. You can send it, use it as collateral on lending platforms or put it into Pendle yield markets on Monad. If you're already active in DeFi, this is the most natural place to use it.
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4. Join Early-Stage Token Sales With AUSD on CoinTerminal
AUSD holders can also use their crypto to get into early-stage token sales through CoinTerminal, an open-access launchpad that lets users invest in crypto startups before they are listed on exchanges. There are no token-staking requirements, and sales can be joined with a minimum contribution of $100.
AUSD is not accepted directly, so holders will first need to convert it to USDT on an exchange such as Kraken before participating. All launches are fully refundable, making the investment risk-free.
Visit the CoinTerminal launchpad to see which token sales are currently open.
CoinTerminal is a good fit if you enjoy getting into projects early. You can take part in token sales from $100 before the tokens are listed on exchanges, there's no staking needed to qualify, and launches are refundable, which makes the investment process risk-free.
5. Buy Gift Cards and Mobile Top-Ups With AUSD on Coinsbee
AUSD holders can also use their crypto for everyday spending through Coinsbee. It offers gift cards, prepaid products and mobile top-ups from over 5,000 brands in 185+ countries.
Its catalogue covers shopping, groceries, gaming, travel, food delivery, streaming and mobile services, and the platform supports more than 200 cryptocurrencies. Since AUSD is not accepted directly, you will first need to swap it for a supported asset such as USDT or BTC on an exchange like Kraken. Once payment is confirmed, digital gift card codes and vouchers arrive by email.
Have a look through the Coinsbee catalogue to see what is available in your country.
What stands out to me about Coinsbee is how many brands it offers. With over 5,000 of them, you'll usually find a gift card for whatever you need, from groceries to gaming, and the code arrives by email. Just check what's available in your country before you pick one.
Sources
- AUSD, Agora official website and AUSD ecosystem overview
- AUSD on X, @withAUSD official announcements, product news and roadmap updates
- Crypto Reporter, Epic Transitions into the Travel Layer for Crypto, Bringing Real-World Utility to the Web3 Space
- Binance Academy, What Is Epic Chain (EPIC)?
- Uphold, What Is EPIC?
- CoinMarketCap, AUSD (AUSD) price, market cap and live token data
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Adrian Baschuk is the chief executive officer of Epic. Adrian has spent two decades in media as a producer, journalist, and founder, and has worked in crypto since 2017. He was a founding partner at Crypto Banter, worked on CNBC's Crypto Trader, and has produced and reported for CNN, Current TV, and Discovery.
His television production credits include Disengagement, South Beach Tow, and Kart Life. He became CEO of Epic in 2025 and leads the company's move into travel, building the first travel layer for crypto.
Based in Miami, Adrian earned a bachelor's degree in international relations from Tufts University.
Frequently Asked Questions
Agora is a stablecoin infrastructure company that issues AUSD, a fully reserved digital dollar pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. It also lets businesses launch their own branded stablecoins on top of AUSD, offers a beta API for institutions, and has received preliminary conditional approval from the OCC for a national trust bank charter.
Token prices cannot be reliably forecast, and this article is not investment guidance. What AUSD does have is a clear role: it is designed to hold a 1:1 value with the US dollar, backed by cash, short-term US Treasuries, and overnight repurchase agreements. It trades at about $1, and its all-time high was $1.07 in January 2025.
Yes. AUSD holders can book hotels and flights through Epic at prices up to 30% lower than Booking.com. The platform accepts over 200 cryptocurrencies alongside Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and pays up to 8% cashback in XRP on bookings. New users can also get $25 off their first booking.
Agora issues AUSD, a fully reserved US dollar stablecoin built for institutions and businesses. VanEck manages the reserves of cash, short-term US Treasuries, and overnight reverse repurchase agreements, and State Street holds them in custody. Institutions mint AUSD by depositing dollars and redeem it to take dollars back.
Agora was founded in 2023 by Nick van Eck, Drake Evans, and Joe McGrady, with backing from Paradigm, Dragonfly, Wintermute, and Galaxy. The company builds stablecoin infrastructure around AUSD, and in July 2026 it launched a beta API for institutions that need fast money movement. On 30 April 2026, it applied to the OCC for a national trust bank charter and later received preliminary conditional approval.
Found a hotel you like? Book it for up to 30% less
Found a hotel you like? Book it for up to 30% less
