Circle and Polymarket Partner to Strengthen Onchain Financial Markets

Rhea-AI Impact

(Neutral)

Rhea-AI Sentiment

(Very Positive)

Key Terms

usdc financial

USDC is a digital token designed to hold the same value as one U.S. dollar, acting like a digital dollar you can use on the internet. Investors care because it provides a quick, low-cost way to move and store value, reduce price swings common in cryptocurrencies, and park cash in trading or payments without converting to traditional bank deposits, though its safety depends on how and where the backing dollars are held.

prediction market financial

A prediction market is a platform where people buy and sell contracts that pay out based on the outcome of a future event, turning collective opinions into a price that reflects the market’s best guess. It matters to investors because those prices act like a crowd-sourced probability—similar to odds at a sports book—helping gauge sentiment, anticipate risks, and inform trading or decision-making when formal data is limited.

onchain technical

"Onchain" describes activities, transactions, or data that happen directly on a blockchain, which is a digital ledger that records information transparently and securely. For investors, onchain activities provide real-time insights into how assets are moving and how networks are functioning, helping them make more informed decisions. Think of it as watching transactions happen live on a public record, similar to seeing a receipt posted online immediately after a purchase.

collateral financial

Collateral is an asset a borrower pledges to a lender as security for a loan; if the borrower fails to repay, the lender can take the asset to recover losses. For investors, collateral matters because it reduces lender risk, influences interest rates and loan terms, and determines who gets paid first if a company faces financial trouble—think of it like a pawned item that gives the lender extra protection.

02/05/2026 - 09:00 AM

Native USDC to Power Transparent, Always-On Settlement for Polymarket Users

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Circle Internet Group, Inc. (NYSE: CRCL), one of the world’s leading internet financial platform companies, today announced a partnership with Polymarket, the world’s largest prediction market, to support reliable dollar-denominated settlement infrastructure for Polymarket users.

Currently, Polymarket uses Bridged USDC (USDC.e) on Polygon as collateral for all trading activity. As part of this partnership, Polymarket will transition to native USDC in the coming months. Native USDC is issued by Circle’s regulated affiliates and is redeemable 1:1 for US dollars, providing a more capital efficient, scalable, and institutionally aligned settlement standard as Polymarket’s platform continues to grow.

"The internet financial system driven by Circle platforms has been built to enable money and capital to work at the speed of the internet, with delightful consumer experiences," said Jeremy Allaire, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO at Circle. "Polymarket has been at the forefront of innovation in marrying the speed of information with the speed of markets, and with the partnership we are building, we bring the utility and speed of USDC to provide the best possible experience for Polymarket users."

“Circle has built some of the most critical infrastructure in crypto, and partnering with them is an important step in strengthening prediction markets,” said Shayne Coplan, Founder and CEO of Polymarket. “Using USDC supports a consistent, dollar-denominated settlement standard that enhances market integrity and reliability as participation on the platform continues to grow.”

Circle joins a growing set of established financial and market-infrastructure institutions that Polymarket works alongside as it builds toward a transparent, institutional-grade prediction market. Companies such as Intercontinental Exchange and Circle have helped define modern standards for regulated, high-integrity markets, and Polymarket is taking a similarly long-term approach as it expands regulated, onchain financial infrastructure.

This collaboration reflects broader momentum across the digital asset ecosystem toward integrating payment stablecoins into trusted, onchain financial systems, bringing traditional financial standards of transparency and settlement efficiency to internet-native markets.

About Circle

Circle (NYSE: CRCL) is one of the world’s leading internet financial platform companies, building the foundation of a more open, global economy through digital assets, payment applications, and programmable blockchain infrastructure. Circle’s platform includes the world’s largest stablecoin network anchored by USDC, Circle Payments Network for global money movement, and Arc, an enterprise-grade blockchain designed to become the Economic OS for the internet. Enterprises, financial institutions, and developers use Circle to power trusted, internet-scale financial innovation. Learn more at circle.com.

About Polymarket

Polymarket is the world's largest prediction market. On Polymarket, traders predict the outcome of future events and win when they are right. As traders react to breaking news in real-time, market prices are the best gauge of the likelihood of events occurring. Institutions, individuals, and the media rely on these forecasts to report the news and better understand the future. Across politics, current events, pop culture, and more, billions of dollars of predictions have been made so far on Polymarket in 2025.