Circle, ACI Worldwide Launch USDC Settlement Pilot in Colombia

Circle is integrating its USDC stablecoin into Latin America's banking rails through a partnership with payments-technology firm ACI Worldwide, starting with a pilot in Colombia announced Tuesday. The collaboration combines Circle's USDC infrastructure with ACI Connetic, ACI's cloud-based payments orchestration platform, to demonstrate how stablecoin settlement can operate alongside traditional payment systems. Colombia was selected because ACI built the central infrastructure behind Bre-B, the country's interoperable instant-payments network, allowing the pilot to test how a digital dollar slots into real-time, account-to-account settlement. Craig Ramsey, ACI's global head of account-to-account payments, said the stablecoin conversation is "moving from possibility to practicality," while Circle Chief Commercial Officer Kash Razzaghi described USDC as a bridge between traditional finance and the digital economy. The move extends Circle's regional expansion, following Argentina's Mercado Pago adding USDC support. The companies said ACI's platform is technology-agnostic and can support other payment networks and digital-asset providers over time.