Circle Internet Group, Inc. has launched Circle Payments Network Managed Payments, a full-stack stablecoin settlement platform enabling financial institutions to access USDC-powered settlement without directly managing digital assets. On the same date, Circle announced its first Payouts API expansion outside the United States, bringing automated stablecoin payout capabilities to partners operating through Circle Mint Singapore, which holds a Major Payment Institution licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Key Facts At A Glance
- Circle launched CPN Managed Payments on April 8, 2026, allowing payment service providers, fintechs, banks, and enterprises to settle via USDC while interacting solely in fiat currency.
- The platform manages the full digital asset lifecycle on behalf of partner institutions, including USDC minting and burning, payment orchestration, compliance controls, and blockchain infrastructure.
- CPN Managed Payments connects to more than 20 blockchains and domestic payment rails, with launch partners including Veem, Thunes, and Worldline.
- Circle simultaneously announced the Payouts API is now available to partners contracted with Circle Mint Singapore, marking Circle’s first Payouts API expansion beyond its US-based entity.
- Circle Internet Singapore, which operates Circle Mint Singapore, holds a Major Payment Institution licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore under the Payment Services Act.
- USDC has supported over $70 trillion in cumulative on-chain settlement, with on-chain transaction volume nearing $12 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2025.
- On-chain stablecoin transactions in Asia Pacific totalled approximately $2.4 trillion between June 2024 and June 2025, with annual growth exceeding 69% according to Circle’s own data.
- The Singapore Payouts API rollout aligns with Travel Rule requirements and positions Singapore as Circle’s first non-US payout infrastructure market.
Removing Institutional Barriers To Stablecoin Settlement
The core design of CPN Managed Payments is abstraction. Financial institutions that have long evaluated stablecoin settlement but declined to proceed due to digital asset custody requirements, licensing complexity, or operational risk can now access USDC-based payment rails without any direct exposure to the digital asset layer. Institutions send fiat in, Circle manages the on-chain settlement using USDC, and the recipient receives fiat out. The back-end processes, including USDC minting and burning, payment orchestration, compliance screening, and blockchain infrastructure management, are handled entirely within Circle’s operational framework.
Nikhil Chandhok, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Circle, said the platform combines issuance, liquidity, compliance, and programmable infrastructure into a unified solution, enabling financial institutions to embed stablecoin settlement into their existing payment stacks with enterprise-grade reliability and operational readiness.
The platform is also described as composable, meaning institutions can begin with the fully managed model and gradually take on more direct ownership of stablecoin infrastructure as their regulatory and operational readiness evolves. This positions CPN Managed Payments as an entry point rather than a fixed architecture.
Jeremy Allaire, Circle’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, noted on April 8 that building on rapid growth already observed on the Circle Payments Network, the company identified a strong need from banks, payment service providers, fintechs, and large technology firms for a streamlined integration model.
Launch Partners And Use Cases
CPN Managed Payments is launching alongside several confirmed institutional partners. Veem, a global payments platform, is among the launch participants exploring stablecoin settlement use cases on the network. Thunes, the Singapore-headquartered cross-border payments infrastructure operator, is also a named partner. Chloé Mayenobe, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Thunes, said the collaboration allows Thunes to bridge traditional banking, mobile wallets, and digital assets within a single interoperable framework, giving its members, which include banks, gig economy platforms, and money transfer operators, the ability to manage liquidity around the clock and expand cross-border connectivity.
Worldline, the European payments processor, is also participating in the launch. Madalena Cascais Mendes Tome, Global Head of Financial Services Processing and Financial Institutions at Worldline, described stablecoins as a natural extension of the company’s work supporting emerging payment rails, and indicated that CPN Managed Payments keeps partners within fiat-based workflows while adding access to blockchain-native settlement.
Singapore As The First Non-US Payout Market
The second component of the April 8 announcement is specific to Southeast Asia and addresses an infrastructure gap that had existed for Circle Mint Singapore partners. Prior to this expansion, companies contracted through Circle Mint Singapore did not have a native mechanism for scaled third-party payouts within Circle Mint. Those firms had to rely on separate arrangements for international disbursements. The Payouts API now closes that gap.
The API supports end-to-end payout workflows programmatically, allowing businesses to automate USDC-based transfers to third parties, reduce manual processing overhead, minimise human error, and improve visibility across payout flows. Existing Circle Mint Singapore partners using other payout solutions can now migrate those workflows onto Circle Mint. Asia-based partners previously contracted through Circle’s US entity can also move to Circle Singapore if operating through the local regulated platform better suits their structure.
The Singapore rollout is explicitly designed to align with local Travel Rule requirements and other regulatory expectations under the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s framework, providing a compliant pathway for regional institutions to scale stablecoin payout operations. Circle Internet Singapore operates under an MPI licence issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, which enacted a formal stablecoin regulatory framework in August 2023 covering single-currency stablecoins pegged to the Singapore dollar or G10 currencies.
Circle described the Singapore Payouts API launch as the first element of a broader regional buildout, stating that additional stablecoin payment infrastructure and capabilities are planned for further markets, partners, and use cases.
Asia Pacific’s Stablecoin Trajectory
The dual announcement arrives against a backdrop of accelerating institutional stablecoin activity across Asia Pacific. Circle’s own data shows on-chain stablecoin transactions in the region totalled approximately $2.4 trillion between June 2024 and June 2025, with annual growth exceeding 69%. The company reported during its Circle Forum in Singapore that 56% of Asian institutions currently use stablecoins for settlement or liquidity management purposes.
USDC’s global settlement volumes, exceeding $70 trillion in cumulative on-chain activity, reflect a trajectory that has drawn increasing attention from regulators and financial institutions alike. Singapore’s regulatory clarity, established MPI licensing framework, and position as a regional financial hub make it a structurally advantaged location for stablecoin infrastructure deployment compared to most other markets in Southeast Asia, where regulatory frameworks for stablecoin issuance and distribution remain at earlier stages.