Circle Seeks to Make Crypto Payments Easier With New 'Programmable Wallets'

The product is aimed at payments from businesses to customers.

AccessTimeIconAug 8, 2023 at 12:37 p.m. UTC
Updated Aug 8, 2023 at 3:55 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

USDC stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Financial on Tuesday released a new, programmable web3 wallet platform that the company says can help businesses offer digital-asset payments to customers.

According to a press release, developers and merchants can integrate and personalize Circle’s "programmable wallets" into their applications and build services on top, letting consumers send, receive and store cryptocurrencies, including Circle’s USDC stablecoin and non-fungible tokens, or NFTs.

  • Grayscale Begins Trading First Spot Bitcoin ETF; Circle Files for IPO
    02:27
    Grayscale Begins Trading First Spot Bitcoin ETF; Circle Files for IPO
  • Closing Arguments Start in Sam Bankman-Fried's Trial; Could Bitcoin Reach $150K by 2025?
    02:23
    Closing Arguments Start in Sam Bankman-Fried's Trial; Could Bitcoin Reach $150K by 2025?
  • Circle’s Chief Strategy Officer on Future of Stablecoins, Crypto Regulation
    12:57
    Circle’s Chief Strategy Officer on Future of Stablecoins, Crypto Regulation
  • Circle’s Chief Strategy Officer on CBDC Outlook in the U.S.
    00:43
    Circle’s Chief Strategy Officer on CBDC Outlook in the U.S.
  • The service is available in a public beta version on the Ethereum (ETH), Avalanche (AVAX) and Polygon (MATIC) networks for developers, with plans to expand to other blockchains later this year, Circle said.

    Circle Programmable Wallets (Circle)
    Circle Programmable Wallets (Circle)

    Circle’s new product comes as crypto firms aim to increase the role of stablecoin payments in the real-world economy.

    Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrencies that anchor their price to another asset, predominantly to the U.S. dollar. They are a $128 billion asset class and a key piece of infrastructure that bridges traditional payment systems with the digital-asset economy, facilitating trading, transactions and conversion to crypto from government-issued (fiat) money.

    Millions of people, especially in developing countries with fragile banks and currencies, including Argentina and Turkey, seek U.S.-dollar stablecoins as a safe haven to store wealth and send remittances.

    “This new platform marks the first step for Circle’s Web3 services as we work to ease common pain points for developers, remove friction from value exchange, deliver more seamless user experiences and help drive blockchain-powered wallet adoption,” Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said in a statement.

    Edited by James Rubin.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Krisztian  Sandor

    Krisztian Sandor is a reporter on the U.S. markets team focusing on stablecoins and institutional investment. He holds BTC and ETH.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.