Circle acquires Interop Labs to accelerate USDC multi-chain strategic deployment

Source: TokenPost Original Title: Circle Acquires Interop Labs… Accelerating USDC Multi-Chain Strategy Original Link: https://www.tokenpost.kr/news/blockchain/315106 Circle announces the acquisition of Axelar, a decentralized interoperability network, and its core contributor Interop Labs. This acquisition is a strategic move by Circle, a stablecoin issuer, to strengthen its position amid increasingly fierce competition in the multi-chain environment.

Acquisition Details

Circle has signed an exclusive intellectual property purchase agreement with the Interop Labs team. The contract is expected to be completed in early 2026. The Axelar network itself, AXL tokens, and foundation operations are not included in the acquisition scope and will be maintained by the community governance system. Interop Labs is the founding entity supporting the Axelar network for inter-chain messaging and asset transfer.

Integration Plan

Circle plans to integrate Interop Labs’ technology into its multi-chain blockchain “Arc” and Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP). Through this integration, Circle will significantly enhance asset interoperability based on Arc, while also strengthening multi-chain developer tools and its own product development capabilities.

Maintaining Network Independence

The open-source network development work originally handled by Interop Labs will be taken over by Common Prefix, another major contributor to Axelar. This move aims to maintain the network’s technical continuity and neutrality.

Circle emphasizes that it will not exercise control over the AXL token or the network itself and has not disclosed specific terms of the acquisition. Currently, Circle issues USDC, the world’s second-largest stablecoin, which accounts for about 25% of the approximately $310 billion stablecoin market globally.

Market Background

This move aligns with industry trends where stablecoin issuers expand their service scope to platform development and achieve revenue diversification. As efforts to eliminate blockchain boundaries and provide seamless application experiences increase, acquiring cross-chain interoperability technology has become a necessary condition.