Circle Teams Up With Crossmint to Expand USDC Stablecoin and Power AI Payments

Circle’s venture capital arm is joining forces with crypto infrastructure firm Crossmint to bring the $USDC stablecoin to more blockchains and broaden its global reach. The companies announced the partnership on Wednesday, framing it as a key step toward stablecoin adoption not just for people but also for AI agents.

Circle and Crossmint Building Stablecoin Rails

Crossmint said it will integrate Crossmint Wallets and APIs with Circle’s $USDC to deliver near-instant payments and seamless onramps. The goal is to create a financial ecosystem where “money moves near-instantly, access is global, and systems are built for both humans and machines,” the company explained.

Interest in AI-driven payments is surging. Two Coinbase developers, Kevin Leffew and Lincoln Murr, predict that AI agents could become Ethereum’s biggest users, paying for services such as self-driving taxis, on-demand content publishing, and permanent data storage directly with stablecoins.

Lifeline for Inflation-Hit Economies

The push comes as demand for the sector grows in countries facing high inflation and strict currency controls. In Argentina, residents increasingly turn to “crypto caves” to buy US dollar–backed stablecoins to protect savings.

Crossmint’s infrastructure is also helping traditional payment firms enter the space. MoneyGram, which serves over 50 million customers across 190 countries, is launching a crypto payments app in Colombia that uses Crossmint’s self-custody technology to let locals hold and spend $USDC as an alternative to the weakening peso.

Tether Still Dominates the Market

Despite $USDC’s expanding network, Tether ($USDT) remains the leading stablecoin by a wide margin. CoinGecko data shows $USDT handled nearly $100 billion in trading volume in the past 24 hours, about ten times more than $USDC’s $10.3 billion.

$USDT’s market cap stands at $173 billion, compared with $USDC’s $74.1 billion, and supply on the Tron network has already surpassed $80 billion, thanks to fast, low-cost transfers popular in developing regions.

By pairing Circle’s trusted $USDC with Crossmint’s developer-friendly infrastructure, the two firms aim to bring stable, borderless digital dollars to billions of users.