Circle’s U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin, USDC, is now live natively on the Sonic blockchain, following the completion of a transition from a bridged version of the token to a native deployment, the company announced Tuesday.
The update enables Sonic developers and users to interact with native USDC without requiring additional action. The bridged version has been upgraded in place automatically, simplifying the transition process for existing participants.
Sonic becomes the 20th blockchain to offer native USDC support, furthering the stablecoin’s accessibility across multiple networks. Circle said the move is part of its ongoing efforts to expand cross-chain functionality and liquidity options for institutional and retail users.
Crosschain Transfers and Institutional Access Enhanced
The upgrade introduces support for Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) Version 2, which allows USDC to be moved across supported blockchains with minimal delay. CCTP V2 includes functionality for post-transfer automation through smart contract “Hooks,” enabling programmable actions to occur immediately after a cross-chain transfer is completed.
In addition to technical improvements, the native integration on Sonic enables institutional users to directly mint and redeem USDC through Circle Mint. This provides a regulated 1:1 on/off-ramp for U.S. dollars, a feature intended to serve enterprise and fintech users looking to maintain price stability in tokenised financial products.
Initial participants in the launch include major DeFi platform Aave, crypto exchange Binance, and payment service RedotPay. Their involvement is expected to assist in building early liquidity and usage on the Sonic chain.
Part of Broader Multi-Chain Strategy
The Sonic deployment is part of Circle’s broader strategy to make USDC available across a growing number of blockchain ecosystems. Native support helps address issues related to asset fragmentation that often arise with bridged stablecoins, which depend on third-party custodians and can carry additional risk.
USDC remains one of the most widely used regulated stablecoins in the market, serving as a core asset in decentralised finance applications and as a medium of exchange in digital payments. Circle’s multi-chain roadmap aims to facilitate greater interoperability for developers and institutions navigating a fragmented blockchain landscape.
More details on USDC’s multi-chain availability and developer documentation for CCTP can be found on Circle’s official website.
