Circle Partners With Finastra on $5 Trillion USDC Settlement

Circle and Finastra announced on Wednesday a partnership to integrate USDC settlement into Finastra’s Global PAYplus platform, which handles more than $5 trillion in daily cross-border payment flows.

The deal will let banks settle transactions with USDC while keeping payment instructions in fiat currencies, aiming to reduce costs, speed up transfers, and lessen reliance on correspondent banking networks.

Finastra’s GPP Joins Stablecoin Push

Global PAYplus (GPP), Finastra’s flagship payments hub, serves thousands of banks in over 130 countries. According to the press release, institutions using the platform will be able to settle transactions with Circle’s USDC stablecoin.

Finastra, based in London, provides financial software to over 8,000 customers, including 45 of the world’s top 50 banks. By linking GPP to USDC, the companies aim to modernize settlements long criticized for inefficiency, high fees, and delays.

Proponents argue blockchain-based settlement allows transactions to clear around the clock at significantly lower costs. Regulators in the US, Europe, and Asia continue scrutinizing stablecoins, highlighting risks and potential benefits.

Circle’s USDC currently has a circulating supply of roughly $69 billion. The release said embedding USDC into GPP will allow banks to test blockchain settlement without disrupting compliance or foreign exchange processes.

“By connecting Finastra’s payment hub to Circle’s stablecoin infrastructure, we can help our clients access innovative settlement options without the burden of building their own systems,” said Chris Walters, CEO of Finastra.

Circle Expands USDC Use Beyond Crypto Sector

For Circle, the collaboration provides a major institutional channel for USDC adoption. The company went public earlier this year, with its shares rallying as investors sought exposure to the fast-growing stablecoin market.

“Finastra’s reach and expertise in powering payments infrastructure for leading banks worldwide makes them a natural choice to further expand USDC settlement in cross-border flows,” said Jeremy Allaire, Circle’s co-founder and CEO.

He added:

“Together, we’re enabling financial institutions to test and launch innovative payment models that combine blockchain technology with the scale and trust of the existing banking system.”

The move aligns Circle with other payments giants such as Stripe and PayPal, which have developed their own stablecoin infrastructure. Several banks and retailers are also exploring token-based payment models.

On the same day, Circle (CRCL) shares closed at $127.4, down 1.28% from the previous session. The decline came amid a broader market pullback, with Bitcoin falling 0.7% over 24 hours to $111,277 and Ethereum dropping 2.2% to $4,511.