Tether tokens, established by the cryptocurrency exchange BitFinex, are the Tether network's native tokens and trade under the USDT sign. These are digital currencies backed by tangible assets to maintain a steady value, in contrast to most cryptocurrencies, which are notoriously volatile. Tether Ltd., the company in charge of maintaining fiat currency reserves, established the stablecoin as RealCoin in July 2014 and rebranded it as Tether in November after a successful crowdfunding campaign. It started trading publicly in February 2015.