U.S. crypto exchange giant Coinbase announced a strategic partnership with Squads Protocol, a DeFi infrastructure platform built on the Solana (SOL) blockchain, to accelerate the adoption of the USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin across the Solana ecosystem.
Strengthening USDC’s Role in DeFi
The collaboration is part of Coinbase’s recently relaunched Stablecoin Bootstrap Fund, following earlier USDC integrations with major DeFi platforms like Aave and Jupiter.
Founded in 2021, Squads has already secured over $1 billion in USDC within its product suite—representing around 15% of the total USDC supply on Solana.
The platform has locked in more than $10 billion in total value and processed over $5 billion in stablecoin transactions in the past 18 months. Its products include Altitude, a USD-denominated business savings account, and Fuse, a consumer-focused finance app—both already powered by USDC infrastructure.
This move reflects a broader market trend in stablecoin adoption, driven by institutional interest and advancing regulatory frameworks. Coinbase aims to solidify USDC’s leadership position in DeFi applications through this alliance.
USDC adoption on @solana is about to accelerate.
We've partnered with @SquadsProtocol to make USDC the default stablecoin across their entire product suite. pic.twitter.com/aE7gnauTEi
— Coinbase ?️ (@coinbase) August 13, 2025
Shaping the Future of the Solana Ecosystem
Coinbase Chief Business Officer Shan Aggarwal commented:
“Squads is advancing on-chain stablecoin adoption across the Solana ecosystem. We’re excited to support their deep USDC integration across their product suite and help deliver more value to their customers.”
Squads recently raised $10 million in a Series A funding round led by Electric Capital, further boosting investor confidence in its growth trajectory.
The partnership is expected to make USDC the default stablecoin solution for Solana-based applications such as solana wallets. Analysts believe other protocols may follow suit, as both companies seek to capture the rising demand within the expanding Solana ecosystem.