Ant Group’s international arm is reportedly planning to adopt Circle’s USDC stablecoin once it meets full U.S. regulatory compliance.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include a social media post from Wu Blockchain that call into question the accuracy of reporting.
Jack Ma-backed Ant Group Co. is preparing to integrate Circle Internet Group Inc.’s USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin into its global blockchain platform, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The exact timeline hasn’t been determined, but the sources said that Ant’s international arm plans to adopt USDC once the stablecoin achieves full compliance under U.S. regulatory frameworks.
The news remains unconfirmed for now. Wu Blockchain, citing Ant Group, stated: “The media report is inaccurate and there is no such plan at present.”
The stablecoin is expected to be used to enhance Ant’s cross-border payment and treasury management services, enabling faster and more regulated transactions for businesses worldwide.
The development also complements Circle’s own efforts by extending USDC’s reach through external platforms like Ant’s, alongside Circle’s plans to launch its own payments network aimed at helping financial institutions settle cross-border transactions using stablecoins.
The move also marks a strategic pivot for Ant Group, which has been aggressively expanding its international footprint after its 2020 IPO was derailed by regulatory crackdowns in China. In response, Ant has doubled down on global fintech infrastructure through its international arm Ant International, which generated nearly $3 billion in revenue in 2024 and processed over $1 trillion in global transactions last year, with a third of those routed through its proprietary blockchain.
Integrating USDC fits into this vision by enabling Ant to offer faster, compliant, and stablecoin-powered cross-border payments and treasury services, while expanding its blockchain platform that already accommodates a variety of tokenized assets issued by banks and financial institutions worldwide.
Meanwhile, Ant is actively pursuing licenses to issue its own fiat-backed stablecoins in jurisdictions including Hong Kong, Singapore, and Luxembourg, aiming to operate under newly established regulatory frameworks. A company spokesperson recently confirmed that Ant plans to apply for a fiat-referenced stablecoin issuer license in Hong Kong once the city’s new Stablecoins Ordinance takes effect on August 1. Applications in Singapore and Luxembourg will follow soon after.
