Circle, a blockchain payments network, has partnered with Alpen Labs, Bitcoin rollup infrastructure, to bring USDC to Alpen’s Bitcoin-anchored blockchain. Circle will also bring its Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) to Alpen Labs. The planned integrations will extend Circle’s stablecoin and interoperability infrastructure into a Bitcoin-focused environment. Circle has announced the partnership officially on its X account.
Circle 🤝 @AlpenLabs
USDC and CCTP are coming soon to the first bitcoin anchored chain supported by Circle. pic.twitter.com/D22QuGItGP
— Circle (@circle) September 24, 2026
USDC stablecoin is already natively available across numerous blockchain networks, and the Alpen integration would further expand its reach.
Circle Expands USDC Infrastructure to Bitcoin
The partnership will extend Circle’s $USDC ecosystem into a Bitcoin-centric environment. Alpen Labs is developing infrastructure designed to support financial applications such as borrowing, lending, and yield products. Alpen’s infrastructure will enable Bitcoin-native markets without relying on traditional wrapped assets or custodians in certain applications.
Once the integration goes live, Alpen users will gain access to $USDC and CCTP-based transfer infrastructure. The addition may provide dollar-denominated liquidity and cross-chain transfer capabilities for applications. It also connects Alpen’s Bitcoin-focused infrastructure with Circle’s broader stablecoin ecosystem.
CCTP Enables Native USDC Transfers
Instead of relying on liquidity pools or third-party bridges, CCTP burns $USDC on the source network and mints an equivalent amount on the destination network. The design enables 1:1 transfers while reducing the need for fragmented liquidity across different chains.
Circle has been expanding USDC availability across blockchain networks. It seeks to strengthen stablecoin interoperability and build infrastructure for digital financial applications.
Alpen Labs is developing modular infrastructure focused on programmable Bitcoin and Bitcoin-native DeFi applications. The company was founded by MIT alumni and has received backing from investors including Ribbit Capital.
The partnership represents an expansion of regulated stablecoin infrastructure into Bitcoin-anchored blockchain networks. Circle and Alpen are expected to provide additional information about the integration soon. This will provide missing information about the launch timing and supported features.