The conversation around stablecoins is shifting. What once appeared as a speculative crypto tool is increasingly viewed as core infrastructure for digital finance.
According to Circle, regulated stablecoins are beginning to function as a neutral settlement layer for the internet — similar to how foundational protocols enabled the modern web.
Key takeaways
Regulated stablecoins are moving from crypto markets into real financial infrastructure
They act as a bridge between traditional finance and on-chain systems
Their main value lies in faster settlement, global reach, and liquidity unification
Rather than replacing banks or payment networks, stablecoins operate between them, connecting legacy finance with blockchain rails. This intermediate layer helps reduce friction caused by siloed systems, slow international transfers, and fragmented liquidity. The result is money that behaves more like software — always on, programmable, and borderless.
At the center of this shift is USDC. Circle positions it as a digital-native form of reliable money rather than just a tokenized dollar. That positioning is translating into growth. Throughout 2025, USDC expanded across multiple blockchains, steadily increasing its market share and becoming a major vehicle for stablecoin-based value transfer. While USDT still dominates in size, USDC now carries a significant share of total transaction volume.
From Tokens to Infrastructure
Circle’s ambitions extend well beyond issuing stablecoins. The company is building toward a full-stack financial environment where stablecoins are native, not optional. A major step in that direction is Arc — a blockchain designed specifically for payments and financial coordination rather than general-purpose applications.
Arc is structured to support more than simple transfers. Circle envisions it handling payroll flows, contractual obligations, and capital movement, all while using USDC for transaction fees. Instead of traditional consensus models, Arc relies on deterministic finality, prioritizing security, predictability, and regulatory compatibility. The network has been running in test mode since late 2025 and is already active across major on-chain regions.
Internationally, Circle has also benefited from regulatory clarity. The rollout of MiCA accelerated adoption of EURC, Circle’s euro-denominated stablecoin, allowing it to integrate smoothly into compliant European platforms.
Arc enters a competitive landscape where payment-focused blockchains like Polygon and fintech platforms such as Revolut are racing to define the next generation of financial rails. As these systems converge, stablecoins appear less like an alternative and more like the connective tissue holding the emerging digital financial system together.
