Circle and Polymarket Shift Settlement to Native USDC

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Circle and Polymarket Team Up to Shift Settlement to Native USDC

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: February 05, 2026

Key Takeaways

Circle and Polymarket formed a partnership to change settlement and replace bridge-based stablecoin collateral on the prediction platform;
Polymarket will replace USDC.e on Polygon with Circle-issued USDC that allows direct one-to-one redemption for US dollars;
The change removes dependence on cross-chain bridges and establishes a dollar-denominated settlement model for the platform.

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Circle and Polymarket Team Up to Shift Settlement to Native USDC

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Circle Internet Group and Polymarket have entered a partnership that will change how the prediction platform handles settlement.

The plan moves Polymarket away from bridge-based stablecoin collateral and toward Circle’s native USDC USDC $1.00 for settling activity on the venue.

Currently, Polymarket relies on bridged USDC, known as USDC.e, on Polygon to back trades. An announcement on February 5 explained that the platform intends to shift the collateral base to Circle-issued native USDC across the coming months.

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Polymarket aims to replace a cross-chain representation with a stablecoin issued directly by Circle.

Circle’s native USDC comes from Circle’s regulated entities. It can be redeemed at a one-for-one rate for US dollars.

The announcement described native USDC as “capital-efficient” and positioned for scale. This approach also avoids making cross-chain bridge systems a core requirement for settlement.

Polymarket’s shift places its collateral in a stablecoin that Circle issues and redeems directly. The result keeps settlement tied to Circle’s issuance and redemption processes rather than to the mechanics of token locking and mirrored supply across chains.

Shayne Coplan, Polymarket’s founder and chief executive, said the use of USDC will support “a consistent, dollar-denominated settlement standard that enhances market integrity and reliability as participation on the platform continues to grow".

Polymarket recently signed a multi-year deal with Major League Soccer (MLS) to serve as the league’s exclusive prediction market partner. What did the company say? Read the full story.