GENIUS Act Becomes Law, Setting Federal Standards for Stablecoins
GENIUS Act Becomes Law, Setting Federal Standards for Stablecoins
🏛️ Stablecoin rules finally...
The GENIUS Act has officially become law, establishing the first federal framework for payment stablecoins in the United States.
Key developments:
- Creates clear regulatory standards for the entire stablecoin industry
- Builds on principles of trust and transparency that USDC pioneered
- Represents the first pro-innovation, technology-neutral federal financial law
- Provides a clear path forward for digital money movement
Circle, the company behind USDC, views this as a historic milestone that enshrines their business practices into law. The legislation aims to strengthen the financial system while encouraging responsible innovation.
The new framework positions the U.S. as a leader in digital finance regulation, offering certainty for businesses and consumers in the stablecoin space.
“The GENIUS Act is the first Federal financial law that is a pro-innovation, technology neutral standard that encourages rules-based responsible innovation in the US.” - @ddisparte
“In many respects, the GENIUS Act enshrines Circle's way of doing business into law.”- @ddisparte This marks a historic milestone for stablecoin legislation in the US and a clear path forward for the future of money movement.
USDC was built on trust and transparency. Now, the GENIUS Act sets those standards for the entire industry.
Circle Alliance Expands African Payment Infrastructure
**PretiumApp joins Circle Alliance Program** to enable direct USDC payments across Africa. - Africans can now pay merchants and utilities with stablecoins - **No P2P conversions required** - streamlined payment process - Bridges digital dollars with everyday transactions This follows similar initiatives by AMINA Bank Global for crypto banking services and Link_IO's cross-border payment solutions in Nigeria and Kenya. The expansion demonstrates **growing stablecoin adoption** for practical use cases in African markets, moving beyond trading to real-world commerce.
🪙 USDC Expands to Plume
**Circle is bringing native USDC and CCTP V2 to Plume Network**, a Layer-2 blockchain focused on real-world assets. **Native USDC benefits:** - Regulated stablecoin backed 1:1 by US dollars - Institutional on/off-ramps through Circle Mint - Enhanced support for tokenized RWA and DeFi applications **CCTP V2 capabilities:** - Seamless USDC transfers between Plume and other supported blockchains - Secure cross-chain infrastructure with efficient liquidity routing This integration follows similar expansions to XDC Network and Hyperliquid, demonstrating Circle's continued push to expand USDC's reach across specialized blockchain ecosystems. [Learn more about the integration](http://www.circle.com/blog/native-usdc-cctp-v2-are-coming-to-plume-what-you-need-to-know)
Circle Hosts $100K USDC Pitch Competition for Humanitarian Innovation
**Circle announces its sixth Unlocking Impact Pitch Competition** at One World Trade Center on September 21, 4-6pm ET. The competition targets **innovators using USDC and blockchain infrastructure** to accelerate humanitarian aid and drive inclusive growth. **Key details:** - Grand prize: $100,000 USDC - Location: Circle HQ, One World Trade Center - RSVP deadline: September 15 - Focus: UN Sustainable Development Goals Circle has previously awarded **over $500K** to innovators through this program, which connects blockchain technology with humanitarian impact. [Register here](https://www.circle.com/impact-pitch-competition-2025) before the September 15 deadline.
Linea Achieves First-Ever Seamless USDC Bridge-to-Native Upgrade
Linea blockchain completed a groundbreaking transition from bridged to native USDC, marking the first seamless upgrade of its kind. Key highlights: - Over $21M instantly upgraded without disrupting users or apps - No liquidity migration or smart contract changes required - CCTP V2 deployment enables unified cross-chain liquidity - Zero friction for end users during transition The upgrade makes Linea the 19th blockchain with native USDC support, offering: - Direct 1:1 USD redemption for institutional users - Faster cross-chain transfers (seconds) - Day 1 support from major protocols like Aave and MetaMask [Read the full case study](https://www.circle.com/case-studies/linea)