BitcoinWorld Circle targets 40 emerging markets as stablecoin demand grows Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said the USDC issuer is preparing to enter roughly 40 emerging and developing countries, D
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Circle targets 40 emerging markets as stablecoin demand grows
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said the USDC issuer is preparing to enter roughly 40 emerging and developing countries, Decrypt reported, speaking on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Bangkok. Allaire pointed to rising organic demand for stablecoins from people and businesses in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East that want to participate in an internet-based economy.
Circle is targeting about 40 emerging and developing markets for its USDC stablecoin, CEO Jeremy Allaire told Reuters, citing growing demand in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. He called the shift from early adoption to mainstream scaling, and flagged the GENIUS Act taking effect in January as a watershed moment.Panews also reported the remarks, noting that Allaire said blockchain is shifting from an early adoption phase into a mainstream scaling phase and that large financial institutions and payment companies are moving from pilots to using stablecoins for cross-border settlement and asset transfers. Both reports agree on the scale of the expansion, though only Decrypt included specific market-share and circulation figures.
Allaire described the moment as blockchain moving “from the early adopter phase of blockchain technology into the mainstream scaling phase,” according to Decrypt. He said the demand is not just speculative but comes from ordinary individuals and businesses seeking access to digital dollars.
The company is also leaning on recent regulatory and capital moves. Decrypt reported that Circle secured a federal banking charter in July, sending its stock higher, and has pursued a New York trust charter. The GENIUS Act, the U.S. stablecoin law, is slated to take effect in January, and Allaire called it “a watershed moment” that would give the world “legal digital dollars.”
PANews reported additional detail on institutional adoption: large financial institutions and payment companies are transitioning from pilot programs to using stablecoins for cross-border settlement and asset transfers, and machine-to-machine micropayments between AI agents are driving USDC usage. Decrypt noted that Circle’s Arc network has been adopted by BlackRock, Visa and Standard Chartered, and that Circle has been pushing to make USDC the currency of AI agents. Allaire also credited AI agents making tiny machine-to-machine payments with boosting USDC usage.
The expansion would put a U.S.-regulated stablecoin into dozens of markets where access to dollar-based banking is limited or expensive, potentially changing how people save, send and receive money across borders. Circle’s move also signals that stablecoin competition is shifting from trading venues to everyday payments and settlement, with banks building their own tokens as rivals. Allaire framed that competition as healthy and said incumbents “are no longer in charge, and the innovators are having their day.”
At the same time, Allaire warned that AI is heightening security risks for financial infrastructure. “If you’re not concerned about it, then your head is in the sand, right?” he said, according to Decrypt. That caution underscores that the same technology driving usage growth could expose systems to new threats.
The GENIUS Act’s January effective date is the next major checkpoint, as it will determine how U.S.-regulated stablecoins operate in global markets. Circle’s progress in securing state and federal charters, and any further details on its 40-market rollout, will also shape how quickly USDC reaches new users.
This article is based on reporting by Decrypt and PANews and does not constitute financial advice. Stablecoin and cryptocurrency markets are volatile and uncertain; readers should conduct their own research.
CEO Jeremy Allaire said demand for digital dollars is rising organically among individuals and businesses in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East that want access to an internet-based economy.
What did Allaire say about the GENIUS Act?He described the U.S. stablecoin law, set to take effect in January, as a watershed moment that would give the world legal digital dollars, according to Decrypt.
How does USDC compare with Tether’s USDT in market share?USDC holds about 25% of the stablecoin market compared with roughly 60% for USDT, per Decrypt. USDC circulation rose 19% year over year to $73.3 billion in the second quarter.
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