Avalanche leads top cryptocurrencies with 13% gain today on this catalyst

It's no small catalyst that's driving interest in the top-10 digital token today.

A picture of an avalanche.

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This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

What happened

Bullish sentiment continues to flood the crypto market today, with investors generally taking a positive view of most digital assets following yesterday's anticipated 25-basis-point interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve. However, the leading large-cap cryptocurrency that's gaining the most attention today is Avalanche (CRYPTO: AVAX). This proof-of-stake crypto has surged 13.3% higher over the past 24 hours, as of 1 p.m. ET Thursday. 

This move came as a direct result of the launch of borrowing and trading capabilities of Terra's UST stablecoin on the Avalanche network. Reports indicate that users are now able to both deposit and earn yield on UST using Avalanche, and engage in borrowing for UST tokens as well. 

So what

Earlier this year, various reports suggested that Avalanche, Terra Labs, Pangolin, and Axelar were working to bring UST to the Avalanche network. The expectation with this launch is that increased stablecoin usage and transaction volumes should drive increased user interest overall in the Avalanche platform. 

UST is one of the most intriguing stablecoins, in my opinion. As an algorithmic stablecoin supported by Terra's LUNA token in an algorithmic fashion, this stablecoin seeks to truly innovate in a sector that has come under fire for how various asset-backed tokens are actually backed.

Now what

There are a number of conceptual models that investors can use to try to value a specific cryptocurrency. One of the most popular valuation methodologies is related to total value locked (TVL) within a given network -- how much is staked or held within a specific ecosystem. In this case, the ability of Avalanche to offer yields on UST deposits could propel its TVL higher, driving the valuation of its AVAX token higher over time.

Of course, it's still early innings for this new feature. But investors bullish on the ability of the development team behind Avalanche to continue to innovate certainly like what they see today. 

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Chris MacDonald has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson. 

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