Circle | Crypto

Polymarket will migrate from bridged USDC on Polygon to Circle-issued native USDC, reducing reliance on cross-chain bridges as prediction markets expand. Circle Internet Group has partnered with Polymarket to transition the prediction market’s settlement infrastructure to native USDC, replacing bridged stablecoin collateral used for trading on its platform. According to Thursday’s announcement, Polymarket currently uses bridged USDC (USDC.e) on Polygon as trading collateral and plans to migrate to Circle-issued native USDC (USDC) over the next few months. Native USDC is issued by Circle’s regulated entities and can be redeemed one-for-one for US dollars, offering a “capital-efficient” and scalable alternative without relying on cross-chain bridges. Cross-chain bridges are protocols that transfer tokens between blockchains by locking assets on one network and issuing corresponding representations on another. However, secure cross-chain communication introduces trade-offs in security, trust or flexibility that ...

Circle has flagged scaling its payments network and institution-focused blockchain as a 2026 priority as companies look to examine how to use stablecoins. Stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group plans to focus on building more durable infrastructure throughout 2026 to spur greater adoption among companies and institutions. Circle chief product and technology officer Nikhil Chandhok said in a blog post on Thursday that the company is aiming to push Arc, its layer-1 blockchain designed for institutional and large-scale use, from testnet toward production. At the same time, Circle plans to focus on deepening the utility and reach of its tokens, USDC (USDC), EURC, USYC, and its partner-launched stablecoins by expanding to more chains. Read more

Circle’s rising correlation with ether and DeFi exposure drives the re-rating, despite valuation and competition concerns.

Tokenized US Treasuries crossed $10 billion in total value this week, a milestone that confirms the category has moved from proof-of-concept to operational infrastructure. Yet, something happening underneath this achievement is just as important: Circle's USYC has edged past BlackRock's BUIDL as the largest tokenized Treasury product, signaling that distribution rails and collateral mechanics now […] The post How BlackRock just lost control of the $10B tokenized Treasury market to Circle for one simple, mechanical reason appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The fourth-quarter crypto pullback hit ARK ETFs, with Coinbase emerging as the biggest drag on performance. Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest has increased its exposure to crypto-linked equities, adding shares of Coinbase, Circle and Bullish as prices slid across the sector. According to ARK’s daily trade disclosures for Friday, the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) purchased 38,854 shares of Coinbase Global Inc., while the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF) added another 3,325 shares, acquiring a total of  $9.4 million worth of the exchange shares. Coinbase shares closed down 2.77% on the day at $216.95. ARK added a combined 129,446 shares of Circle Internet Group across ARKK and ARKF, a position worth roughly $9.2 million. The firm also added 88,533 shares of Bullish across the same ETFs, investing about $3.2 million. Circle shares were little changed on the day, slipping 0.03% while Bullish shares declined 2% during the session, closing at $35.75. Read more

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire says AI agents have no alternative to stablecoins and will conduct everyday activities with the tokens within as little as three years. Within three to five years, billions of artificial intelligence agents that can work without human input will use crypto and stablecoins for everyday payments on behalf of users, says Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of stablecoin issuer Circle. “Three years, five years from now, one can reasonably expect that there will be billions, literally billions of AI agents conducting economic activity in the world on a continuous basis,” Allaire said on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao shared a similar view on stage at the WEF on Thursday, saying the “native currency for AI agents is going to be crypto” and will do everything from buying tickets to paying restaurant bills. Read more

At Davos, Jeremy Allaire said Circle's stablecoin functions as shared infrastructure rather than a competitor to banks or card networks. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said the company views its dollar-pegged stablecoin as neutral financial infrastructure with network effects, rather than a product meant to compete with existing payment companies. Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box during the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, Allaire said Circle does not view card networks such as Visa or Mastercard as competitors, describing them instead as “significant partners.” According to Allaire, stablecoins are “network effect businesses,” with usage and circulation increasing as more developers and institutions integrate, adding that Circle operates as a “neutral company” that does not compete with banks, payment companies or exchanges. Read more

At the World Economic Forum, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire rejected claims that stablecoin yields could spark bank runs, pointing to money market funds and broader shifts in finance. Jeremy Allaire, CEO of the publicly listed stablecoin issuer Circle, said interest payments on stablecoins do not pose a threat to banks. Speaking Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Allaire described concerns that stablecoin yields could cause bank runs as “totally absurd,” citing historical precedents and existing reward-based financial services already in use. “They help with stickiness, they help with customer traction,” Allaire said, adding that interest itself is not large enough to undermine monetary policy. Read more

Circle said digital financial infrastructure, including stablecoins, can save 20% of the cost of delivering humanitarian aid. Stablecoin issuer Circle has issued a grant to support the rollout of digital financial infrastructure across the United Nations, with the aim of making humanitarian aid payments more efficient. Announced at the World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, the Circle Foundation said its first international grant would support the UN’s Digital Hub of Treasury Solutions (DHoTS) “efforts to streamline monetary value transfers across the UN ecosystem.” The company, however, did not specify the size or form of the grant. Read more

Bermuda wants to take its entire economy on-chain and will lean on Coinbase and Circle for support in the process.

The partnership builds upon previous work Bermuda’s government has done to attract crypto companies, including the passage of a comprehensive regulatory framework in 2018. The government of Bermuda is planning to create a “fully onchain” national economy using digital asset infrastructure provided through partnerships with cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and stablecoin issuer Circle. In a Monday announcement from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Bermuda Premier David Burt and representatives from Coinbase and Circle said the partnership would allow the Caribbean island nation to use the USDC (USDC) stablecoin and Coinbase’s Base infrastructure to develop a new model for the country’s economy.  According to the companies and Burt, Bermuda government agencies will begin with a pilot program for “stablecoin-based payments, financial institutions integrating tokenization tools, and residents participating in nationwide digital literacy programs.” Read more

The release, distributed on Christmas Eve, used Circle branding and claimed to quote executives, but a Circle spokesperson said it was "not real."

When Circle's shares opened at $69 on the New York Stock Exchange in June, more than double the $31 pricing, it looked like validation. Investors paid up for a regulated stablecoin issuer with real revenues, treating USDC rails as financial infrastructure rather than speculative crypto exposure. Six months later, Circle trades at $82.58, up nearly […] The post A toxic trend that suggests the IPO window is slamming shut for most crypto companies ignored Circle appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The company’s stablecoin infrastructure and USDC coin will be part of the deal, potentially to be embedded in Intuit’s financial platforms. Intuit, the company behind TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks and Mailchimp, announced a “multi-year, strategic partnership” with stablecoin issuer Circle involving its stablecoin infrastructure and USDC (USDC). In a Thursday notice, Intuit said the agreement with Circle would allow “faster, lower-cost” payments through their platforms, which focus on business transactions, tax refunds and marketing. According to Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire, the deal will “extend the speed, power and efficiency of USDC for everyday financial transactions.” USDC is the second-largest stablecoin by market capitalization, trailing Tether’s USDt (USDT) by more than $186 billion. According to data from Nansen, USDC’s market cap was more than $77 billion at the time of publication. Read more

The actively managed ETFs of Cathie Wood's Ark Invest loaded up on crypto-related equities like Coinbase, BitMine, and Circle as prices sagged Monday.

The agreement adds a key interoperability engineering team to Circle, strengthening its crosschain infrastructure and support for multichain applications. Stablecoin issuer Circle has signed an agreement to acquire the Interop Labs team and its proprietary technology, bringing a core contributor to the Axelar Network into its infrastructure business. The deal, expected to close in early 2026, covers Interop Labs’ personnel and proprietary intellectual property, while the Axelar Network, its foundation and the AXL token will remain independent and governed by the community. Interop Labs is the initial developer of the Axelar Network, a decentralized interoperability network that supports crosschain messaging and asset transfers between blockchains. Circle said the team’s technology will be integrated into Circle’s Arc blockchain and Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP). Read more

Circle, Ripple among five stablecoin issuers conditionally approved for national trust banking charters as market hits $313 billion.

The conditional approvals clear a path for major crypto companies to operate as national trust banks under the supervision of the US OCC. The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has conditionally approved five national bank charter applications for companies tied to the digital assets industry. In a Friday notice, the OCC said it had conditionally approved BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets and Paxos to convert their existing state-level trust companies into federally chartered national trust banks. In the same announcement, the regulator said it had conditionally approved new applications from Circle and Ripple for national trust bank charters. “New entrants into the federal banking sector are good for consumers, the banking industry and the economy,” said Jonathan Gould, the Comptroller of the Currency, adding: “The OCC will continue to provide a path for both traditional and innovative approaches to financial services to ensure the federal banking system keeps pace with the evolution of finance and su...

A new Circle–Aleo stablecoin project highlights the growing demand for privacy features as firms weigh blockchain use against the risks of transparency. Stablecoin issuer Circle is developing a privacy-enhanced version of its US dollar-pegged USDC token, aiming to spur institutional adoption by offering greater confidentiality than traditional public blockchains allow. The new stablecoin, called USDCx and targeting banking and enterprise users, is being built in partnership with the privacy-focused blockchain company Aleo, Fortune reported on Tuesday, citing Aleo co-founder Howard Wu. Unlike most existing stablecoins, which have wallet addresses and transaction details fully visible onchain, USDCx is designed to provide “banking-level privacy.” Circle would still be able to provide a compliance record if law enforcement or regulators request information on specific transactions, according to the report. Read more

Circle has secured a license in Abu Dhabi, enabling it to operate as a licensed Money Services Provider as the UAE accelerates its rollout of crypto regulations. Stablecoin issuer Circle has secured regulatory approval to operate as a financial service provider in the Abu Dhabi International Financial Center, deepening its push into the United Arab Emirates. In an announcement Tuesday, Circle Internet Group said it received a Financial Services Permission license from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Centre of Abu Dhabi. This allows the stablecoin issuer to operate as a Money Services Provider in the IFC. The USDC (USDC) issuer also appointed Saeeda Jaffar as its managing director for Circle Middle East and Africa. The new executive also serves as a senior vice president and group country manager for the Gulf Operation Council at Visa and will be tasked with developing the stablecoin issuer’s regional strategy and partnerships. Read...