Circle Brings USDC Settlement Pilot to Colombia

Circle has tapped ACI Worldwide to integrate stablecoin settlement into existing banking infrastructure across Latin America, starting with a pilot in Colombia built on ACI’s Bre-B instant-payments system, according to Decrypt.

The collaboration pairs Circle’s USDC infrastructure with ACI Connetic, a cloud-based payments orchestration platform. The initiative aims to demonstrate how digital dollars can operate alongside traditional payment rails rather than replace them, integrating regulated stablecoins into standard bank treasury operations and governance processes.

Colombia Pilot Details

The initial focus centers on Colombia due to its high cross-border remittance volumes and a population familiar with dollar-denominated savings as an inflation hedge. ACI previously built the central infrastructure behind Bre-B, the nation’s interoperable instant-payments network. The pilot tests how USDC can slot directly into that real-time, account-to-account system to foster a multi-rail ecosystem.

ACI’s global head of account-to-account payments, Craig Ramsey, noted that institutional discussions surrounding stablecoins are shifting toward practical execution within trusted banking workflows. Meanwhile, Circle’s chief commercial officer, Kash Razzaghi, described USDC as a bridge connecting traditional finance with the digital economy.

Regional Expansion

This development extends Circle’s broader expansion across emerging markets. The firm previously established a Latin American foothold when Argentina’s Mercado Pago integrated USDC support.

According to Decrypt, the current pilot remains technology-agnostic. While launched using USDC, the underlying orchestration platform is built to support alternative payment networks and digital-asset providers over time, marking another milestone in embedding the stablecoin within mainstream financial plumbing.

Key facts

• Circle partnered with ACI Worldwide to integrate USDC settlement into Latin American banking infrastructure.
• The initiative kicks off with a pilot in Colombia utilizing ACI’s Bre-B instant-payments system and Connetic platform.
• Colombia was chosen due to high cross-border remittances and a demand for dollar-denominated savings.
• The collaboration positions USDC to run alongside traditional payment rails rather than replace them.