Crypto Trading7 min read
What Is USDT TRC-20, and Why Do Prop Firms Use It for Payouts?
USDT, or Tether, is a stablecoin — a cryptocurrency designed to hold a stable value of one US dollar rather than fluctuate like Bitcoin or Ethereum. It exists on several different blockchain networks, and the network it is issued on changes how a transfer behaves: how much it costs to send, how long it takes to confirm, and how it needs to be received.
TRC-20 refers to USDT issued on the TRON network. It has become the standard rail for many prop trading firms' payouts, including MixFunded's, because of a specific combination of low fees and fast confirmation that suits frequent, relatively modest weekly transfers far better than the alternatives.
What makes USDT a stablecoin
Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, whose prices are set by open market supply and demand, USDT is designed to track one US dollar as closely as possible. The issuer states that each USDT in circulation is backed by reserves of equivalent value, and market mechanisms generally keep its trading price extremely close to $1.
This stability is precisely why USDT is used for payouts rather than a volatile asset such as Bitcoin. A trader receiving a payout in USDT knows the dollar value of the transfer at the point it is sent, without having to account for the coin's price moving between the time the payout is issued and the time it is received.
TRON versus Ethereum rails
The same USDT token exists on multiple networks, most commonly TRON (TRC-20), Ethereum (ERC-20), and several others. They are not interchangeable at the wallet level — sending TRC-20 USDT to an address that only supports ERC-20 can result in funds being lost, so the network must match on both ends of a transfer.
The practical difference between the two is fees and speed. Ethereum's network fees are paid in ETH and vary with network congestion, sometimes reaching several dollars or more per transaction. TRON's fees are typically a small fraction of a cent to a few cents, and its block times are measured in seconds rather than the minutes an Ethereum transaction can take to confirm during busy periods.
Why prop firms settle payouts on TRC-20
MixFunded pays traders every Monday in USDT on the TRON network. TRC-20 is used because its low, predictable fees mean a modest payout is not eroded by network costs, and its fast confirmation means traders are not left waiting for a transaction to clear before funds are usable.
This is also why TRC-20 is set as the default crypto payment option at checkout, alongside USDT ERC-20, USDC, BTC, ETH and SOL. Consistency between the deposit and payout rails reduces the chance of a trader sending or receiving funds on the wrong network by mistake.
- Low, predictable fees compared with Ethereum-based transfers
- Fast confirmation, typically within seconds to a couple of minutes
- Wide support across exchanges and wallets that hold USDT
Verifying a payout on a block explorer
Every MixFunded payout is published with its transaction ID at mixfunded.com/ledger, and the same data is available as a JSON feed at /api/public/ledger.json for anyone who wants to check it programmatically. This transparency is possible because TRON, like other public blockchains, records every transaction permanently and openly.
To verify a transfer, take the published transaction ID and paste it into a TRON block explorer such as Tronscan. The explorer will show the sending and receiving addresses, the amount transferred, the token type, and the exact timestamp the transaction was confirmed on-chain — independent confirmation that does not rely on trusting a screenshot or a statement from the firm itself.
Frequently asked questions
Is USDT the same on every network?
The token represents the same underlying dollar-pegged asset, but it is issued separately on each network it supports, such as TRON (TRC-20) and Ethereum (ERC-20). These versions are not directly compatible at the wallet level, so the network must match between sender and receiver.
Why does MixFunded pay out on TRC-20 specifically?
TRC-20 offers low, predictable network fees and fast confirmation times, which suits a weekly payout schedule far better than a network with higher or more variable fees. Payouts are made every Monday in USDT on the TRON network, and every payout is published with its transaction ID at /ledger.
How can I check that a payout actually happened?
Take the transaction ID published at mixfunded.com/ledger and search for it on a public TRON block explorer such as Tronscan. This shows the transaction independently of MixFunded, confirming the amount, addresses and timestamp directly from the blockchain.
Can I pay for a MixFunded challenge with USDT ERC-20 instead of TRC-20?
Yes, USDT ERC-20 is one of the accepted checkout options alongside TRC-20 USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH and SOL, with TRC-20 set as the default. Note that this only relates to how you fund the account and is separate from how weekly payouts are settled.
Related guides
Trade it on a funded account
MixFunded evaluations start from $5. Payouts are processed every Monday in USDT (TRC-20) and published on-chain.