Native USDC Lands on Aptos, Reinforcing Its Position in the Race Against Solana and Others

This is more than just another stablecoin integration. It is about Aptos making a statement, reinforcing its position as a real contender in the race

Aptos (CRYPTO: APT) has taken a major step in its bid to become a top blockchain for payments and decentralized finance (DeFi) with the launch of native USDC (USD Coin).

What Happened: The stablecoin, pegged to the U.S. dollar on a 1:1 basis, is now being issued directly by Circle (NYSE:CRCL) on the Aptos blockchain. This eliminates the need for users to bridge their USDC over from Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH).

The native USDC is now available on the Aptos mainnet and will soon be listed on Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN).

This marks a significant development for Aptos, which has been positioning itself as a faster and cheaper alternative to Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) and other blockchains. With native USDC, DeFi protocols on Aptos can now build directly with a stable and trusted asset.

The current bridged version of USDC on Aptos is known as lzUSDC. This token is minted by LayerZero and represents USDC that has been transferred from Ethereum via AptosBridge.

Crucially, Circle does not issue lzUSDC and it is not natively redeemable for U.S. dollars. While both tokens serve a similar function, they are not created equal, especially in the eyes of institutions.

Breaking News 🚨 Native USDC is LIVE on Aptos!

Accelerating Aptos' global financial ecosystem expansion in fashion—now with the successful integration of @Circle's USDC.

Available soon on @Coinbase.

Learn more 👇

Another key development that is launching on Aptos is the Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP). This protocol will enable users to seamlessly transfer funds across multiple blockchains.

Insiders say that this protocol will make it possible to onboard capital onto any chain, all without the need for manual swaps or any additional friction. This will make it easier for institutions to quickly and efficiently move funds for treasury management and trading.

Zooming Out: USDC's market cap currently trails that of Tether (CRYPTO: USDT) by a massive $80 billion — a gap that did not always exist. Could this be the beginning of a shift?

Institutions are eyeing USDC's liquidity and regulatory friendliness, while بازار ارز دیجیتال تازه کار بلاک بلاینی که به طور گسترده ای مورد استفاده قرار می گیرد، همچنان تحت تأثیر عوامل نظارتی است. چشم انداز استیبل کوین هنوز مشخص نشده است.

But for now, Aptos just became a more serious player.