Circle has partnered with ACI Worldwide to integrate USDC stablecoin settlement into existing banking infrastructure across Latin America, starting with a pilot in Colombia built on ACI’s Bre-B instant-payments system.
The integration pairs USDC with ACI Connetic, a cloud-based payments orchestration platform, to enable banks to settle transactions using the stablecoin within systems they already operate. Craig Ramsey, ACI’s global head of account-to-account payments, said the move reflects shifting attitudes toward digital assets in financial infrastructure.
“The conversation around stablecoins is moving from possibility to practicality,” Ramsey said.
Kash Razzaghi, Circle’s chief commercial officer, emphasized that the integration works “within the infrastructure they already use,” signaling an approach designed to minimize operational friction for incumbent financial institutions.
Latin American Expansion
Circle has expanded into dozens of emerging markets as stablecoins gain mainstream adoption. The company gained an earlier Latin American foothold when Argentina’s Mercado Pago added USDC to its platform.
Colombia presents a strategic entry point for stablecoin settlement infrastructure. The country experiences high cross-border remittance volumes and has a population accustomed to holding dollar-denominated savings as an inflation hedge, according to the announcement materials.
Bank Adoption Drivers
Banks across the region are increasingly evaluating how digital dollars fit into treasury operations, governance, and settlement processes they already manage. ACI’s platform is architected to support multiple payment networks and digital-asset providers over time, positioning it as a neutral infrastructure layer for stablecoin integration.
The announcement did not specify a timeline or duration for the Colombia pilot, nor did Circle or ACI detail technical specifications for how USDC will integrate with Bre-B’s architecture.
