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What is GUSD Coin (GUSD): Top 5 Ways to Spend It in 2026
GUSD is a US dollar-pegged, yield-bearing token issued by Gate, the global crypto exchange, and backed by US Treasury bonds and other real-world assets. Gate launched it at the end of August 2025, and within two weeks more than $120 million had been issued.
But what can you really do with GUSD beyond Gate's earn products? On Epic, GUSD holders can book hotels and flights at prices up to 30% lower than Booking.com, and new users can get $25 off their first booking.
Below, we look at five practical ways to use GUSD in 2026, from booking travel to swapping it for something you can spend more widely.
Key Takeaways
- Travel is GUSD's most practical spending option. Book hotels and flights with GUSD on Epic at prices up to 30% lower than Booking.com. New users can also get $25 off their first booking.
- Inside Gate, holders mint GUSD 1:1 with USDT or USDC and collect daily rewards. They can also stake it in Launchpool for airdrops of new tokens and use it as margin and loan collateral.
- GUSD holders can purchase physical collectibles on Polkastarter, from rare trading cards and graded items to sealed products and video games.
- Coinsbee opens up everyday purchases for GUSD holders, such as gift cards, prepaid products and mobile top-ups from over 5,000 brands.
- CoinTerminal gives GUSD holders entry to early-stage token sales, with contribution sizes starting at $100.
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What Is GUSD Coin (GUSD)?
GUSD (GUSD) is a yield-bearing, US dollar-pegged token issued by Gate, the crypto exchange founded by Lin Han in 2013. Gate treats it as an investment certificate rather than a payment coin, backed by US Treasury bonds, other real-world assets, and stablecoin reserves.
The project launched in August 2025, with minting and spot trading opening on Gate on 29 August, and the token runs on Ethereum. GUSD has no published maximum supply, with around 149 million tokens in circulation out of a total of about 320 million. It trades on Gate, where GUSD/USDT is its spot pair.
Its main roles are earning daily yield, staking in Launchpool, and serving as collateral across Gate's trading and lending products.
How Does GUSD Work?
GUSD works on a simple mint-and-redeem model. Users deposit USDT or USDC on Gate and receive GUSD at a 1:1 ratio, and they can redeem it back to either stablecoin at the same ratio. Minting is done from the Staking page on Gate.
Rewards are paid daily. The yield comes from US Treasury bonds and other tokenised real-world assets, stablecoin-backed yield products, and revenue from the Gate ecosystem.
GUSD itself is a yield-bearing certificate, so it represents the value of the deposit but does not give ownership of the underlying assets. Holders can keep it to earn, trade it on the spot market, or put it to work in other Gate products.
What stands out to me about GUSD is that it's so simple. You swap USDT or USDC for GUSD at 1:1, the rewards come in every day, and you can redeem back to either stablecoin at the same ratio. If you already keep stablecoins on Gate, it's an easy way to have them earn something.
1. Book Discounted Hotels and Flights With GUSD on Epic
In 2026, travel is one of the most useful ways to use GUSD. The token has a use case beyond simply holding it, with Epic letting holders book hotels and flights at rates up to 30% lower than Booking.com.
Epic offers access to over 2 million properties worldwide. The platform supports more than 200 cryptocurrencies alongside Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Epic also pays up to 8% cashback in XRP on bookings, giving regular travellers another way to save on hotels and flights.
New users can get $25 off their first booking.
What I like about Epic is that it gives GUSD holders something real to use their tokens on. If you're planning a holiday anyway, you can pay for the flights and the hotel with your GUSD for up to 30% less than on Booking.com, and you collect XRP cashback on every booking.
Book your next hotel for up to 30% less
2. Buy Physical Collectibles With GUSD on Polkastarter
GUSD can also be used to buy physical collectibles on Polkastarter. The marketplace offers real trading cards, video games and other physical collectibles kept in professional custody. Items can be sold back through the platform or shipped to you.
Polkastarter uses USDC as its marketplace balance currency, so you will first need to redeem or swap your GUSD for USDC before you fund your account.
Browse through the Polkastarter marketplace to see what's currently available.
Polkastarter is a good fit if you're into collecting. It brings together rare trading cards and video games, all paid for in crypto. Once you've bought something, you choose whether it gets shipped to you or sold back via the platform.
3. Mint and Stake GUSD Across the Gate Ecosystem
GUSD holders get the most out of the token inside Gate, the exchange that issues it. Beyond the daily rewards, GUSD can be staked in Launchpool, where holders receive hourly airdrops of new project tokens.
The token also counts as margin in Gate's Unified Account and can back borrowing there, as well as in Crypto Loan and Simple Earn. That lets holders use one balance across trading, lending, and earning products.
Launchpool support started on 29 August 2025 with a pool for the CELB token of Celuv Play, and a launch campaign that ran until 15 September 2025 gave new users 15 GUSD for registering. In July 2026, Gate updated GUSD Minting with daily rewards at a listed 3.8% APR and no redemption fees. Gate also runs regular GUSD Minting bonus rounds for new users, with Round 18 open from 17 to 23 June 2026.
This makes sense, because Gate is where GUSD does the most for you. If you already join Launchpool campaigns, staked GUSD earns you hourly airdrops of new project tokens, and the same balance can work as margin or back a loan. And if you don't use Gate much, there's less in it for you.
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4. Join Early-Stage Token Sales With GUSD on CoinTerminal
GUSD holders can also use their stablecoins to join early-stage token sales through CoinTerminal, an open-access crypto launchpad. There are no token-staking requirements, and contribution sizes start at $100.
GUSD is not accepted directly, so holders will first need to swap it for USDT through an exchange such as Gate. You can then use that USDT as the contribution asset required by the individual sale you join. All launches are fully refundable, making the investment risk-free.
You can check the CoinTerminal launchpad to see which token sales are currently open.
What I like about CoinTerminal is that anyone can join a sale. You don't need to stake or lock up any tokens, you can begin from $100, and contributions are refundable, which makes the investment process risk-free.
5. Buy Gift Cards and Mobile Top-Ups With GUSD on Coinsbee
Another option is converting GUSD into a cryptocurrency that can be spent through Coinsbee. It offers digital gift cards, prepaid vouchers and mobile top-ups from over 5,000 brands across more than 185 countries.
Its catalogue covers categories such as retail, groceries, travel, food delivery, gaming and mobile services. Coinsbee accepts more than 200 cryptocurrencies. From there, pick a brand and the amount you want, pay with the converted crypto, and get the digital code by email.
Browse the full Coinsbee catalogue to see what is available in your country.
Coinsbee is the most practical option on this list for everyday purchases. You can use your GUSD for gift cards that cover groceries, food delivery, shopping and gaming, plus mobile top-ups, and the code arrives by email. Just check the catalogue for your country first, because the brands vary by region.
Sources
- 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?
- Epic Travel on X, @EpicOnChain
- GUSD, Official GUSD website and overview of the GUSD ecosystem on Gate
- CoinMarketCap, GUSD (GUSD) price, market capitalisation 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
GUSD is backed by US Treasury bonds, other real-world assets, and stablecoin reserves, and it can be redeemed 1:1 for USDT or USDC on Gate. On the other side, it is a yield-bearing certificate that does not give ownership of the underlying assets, it depends on Gate as its issuer, and its daily spot volume is about $935,000. This is not investment advice.
There are two routes. You can mint GUSD on Gate at a 1:1 ratio with USDT or USDC. You can also buy it through the GUSD/USDT pair on Gate, the exchange where it trades. Holders can redeem it back to USDT or USDC at the same ratio.
GUSD is a yield-bearing, US dollar-pegged token that Gate launched in August 2025. It is minted 1:1 with USDT or USDC and backed by US Treasury bonds and other real-world assets. The same ticker is used by Gemini Dollar, a separate stablecoin from the Gemini exchange, but this article covers the Gate token.
As a crypto asset, GUSD is a token on Ethereum with around 149 million in circulation and a market capitalisation of about $149 million. It trades close to $1, with an all-time high of $1.00 in November 2025, and works across Gate products such as Launchpool, Unified Account margin, Crypto Loan, and Simple Earn.
Yes. Holders can book hotels and flights with GUSD through Epic at prices up to 30% below Booking.com. The platform supports more than 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.
Found a hotel you like? Book it for up to 30% less
Found a hotel you like? Book it for up to 30% less
