What you can build
Circle Payments Network (CPN) is next-generation payment infrastructure that reduces intermediaries while enhancing transparency, security, and speed. Using onchain primitives and built-in compliance capabilities, CPN delivers near-instant cross-border settlement for financial institutions. Key capabilities:- Cross-border payments: Facilitate international transfers with near-instant settlement and transparent pricing.
- Real-time FX quoting: Get competitive quotes from multiple providers with locked rates to eliminate FX risk.
- Smart routing: Automatically select optimal beneficiary financial institutions based on pricing and operational preferences.
- Built-in compliance: End-to-end encryption for travel rule data and beneficiary information throughout the payment flow.
Circle Payments Network
CPN connects Originating Financial Institutions (OFIs) and Beneficiary Financial Institutions (BFIs) to enable efficient global payments powered by USDC.How it works
CPN enables financial institutions to send cross-border payments efficiently through a four-stage workflow:1
Quote generation
OFIs request competitive FX quotes from multiple BFIs through a single API call. Rates are locked to eliminate FX risk during the payment process.
2
Payment creation
After selecting a quote, OFIs create a payment request with encrypted travel
rule data and beneficiary information. BFIs review and approve the payment.
3
Onchain transaction
OFIs sign and submit USDC transactions to transfer funds to the BFI. CPN
validates and broadcasts transactions, then notifies both parties when
confirmed.
4
Fiat settlement
BFIs convert USDC to local fiat and deliver funds to end recipients. CPN provides real-time status updates throughout the entire process.
Prerequisites for OFIs
Before onboarding as an Originating Financial Institution, ensure you have:- Access to USDC liquidity
- A custodial solution for USDC and technical capability to interact with blockchains
- Established KYC and AML processes for your customers
CPN is designed for institutional customers. Contact
Circle to learn more about joining the
network as an OFI.
Dive deeper
- Follow the CPN OFI integration quickstart to start building with the API.
- Review integration concepts to understand the CPN workflow and key entities.
- Explore supported blockchains for USDC transfers.
- Read the CPN White Paper to understand the motivation and use cases.