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Circle Gateway allows anyone to deposit USDC to non-custodial smart contracts on any supported source chain to create a unified USDC balance. Once deposits are finalized, the Gateway system can provide an attestation with a single API call that allows the user to mint USDC instantly on a destination chain, allowing next-block access to the full balance.

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Background

The current multichain environment presents fundamental challenges. Blockchains operate as isolated systems with no native way to communicate with each other. Users holding USDC on Ethereum can’t spend their USDC on Solana without a bridging step, which can be a barrier for adoption for unfamiliar users. Because there is no way to frictionlessly access USDC held across multiple chains, users must take extra steps to move their USDC in advance to transact on each destination chain. This fragmentation introduces friction across the ecosystem. For end users, it means manually bridging assets, switching networks, managing chain-specific balances, and waiting through slow confirmation times—all of which degrade the experience of using applications across chains. For businesses, it means maintaining liquidity on multiple chains at once, constantly rebalancing capital, and dealing with integration and monitoring overhead. These burdens add cost, increase operational risk, and slow down development velocity. The outcome is a fractured liquidity landscape that limits access and usability, both for individual users and for organizations building on the blockchain.

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How it works

Circle Gateway enables a frictionless USDC experience across the multichain ecosystem. Users can hold a balance in USDC across multiple chains and use it instantly on any supported chain, without manual movement, without relying on external liquidity, and while retaining full ownership and control. The following is a high-level overview of how Gateway unlocks instant crosschain transfer of USDC.