Circle has officially launched the mainnet for its Circle Payments Network.

The CPN will be a new blockchain-based system designed to facilitate real-time cross-border payments and settlements using its stablecoin, USDC (USDC).

The CPN is built to support business-to-business payments, cross-border remittances, enterprise treasury operations, and payroll disbursements. With the launch, Circle aims to modernize the $190 trillion global payments industry, which it describes as fragmented and slow, according to the company. 

Current CPN participants include Alfred Pay, Tazapay, Conduit, and RedotPay — companies that operate across Latin America and Asia. Circle says this initial group is helping open USDC payment corridors in regions with high demand for faster and more transparent financial infrastructure.

Improved payments infrastructure

The network enables financial institutions to exchange payment instructions via a secure, blockchain-native coordination protocol and settle transactions instantly in USDC. Through APIs and webhooks, participants also gain real-time visibility into transaction and compliance statuses.

Circle emphasized that CPN is not just about faster payments but also programmability, transparency, and 24/7 availability. The company sees the network as the foundation for a broader transition toward blockchain-based financial systems.

Circle plans to expand the network throughout 2025 to more regions, including Nigeria, the EU, UK, Colombia, India, the UAE, China, Turkey, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Argentina.