Circle buys cross-border payments firm Tazapay for $400M

Circle is acquiring Singapore-based cross-border payments firm Tazapay in an all-stock deal worth $400 million, according to CoinDesk. The acquisition gives Circle access to $25 billion in annualized payment volume across 100+ markets, with about 60% of transactions already involving stablecoins.

Industry observers say the deal buys Circle emerging-market payment links that would otherwise take "years to build", positioning the stablecoin issuer to expand USDC in regions where rival Tether has long been dominant. The acquisition could provide Circle regulated "last-mile" infrastructure, bridging the gap between stablecoins and local banking systems.