Circle, ACI Worldwide to test USDC settlement in Colombia’s banking system

Circle and ACI Worldwide are conducting a proof of concept in Colombia to test USDC settlement within the nation's banking framework.

This joint effort aims to illustrate how dollar-backed stablecoins can integrate with established banking and payment operations for financial institutions. The announcement, made on October 27, details the combination of Circle's USDC infrastructure with ACI Connetic, a cloud-based platform managing cross-system transactions.

Colombia was chosen as the initial market, leveraging ACI's existing involvement with Bre-B, the country's instant payments network. The project is explicitly exploratory; neither firm confirmed a live USDC connection to Bre-B, named banks, or provided a commercial launch date.

The implementation will investigate how banks can integrate stablecoin settlement into their current processes for treasury management, oversight, and payments. ACI Connetic unifies conventional payments, card transactions, and digital assets onto a single platform.

Instead of mandating system replacements, the goal is to demonstrate USDC settlement operating alongside existing payment rails. This allows financial institutions to assess the technology within familiar operational structures while addressing their governance and settlement needs.

Craig Ramsey, ACI Worldwide's global head of account-to-account payments, stated that "The conversation around stablecoins is moving from possibility to practicality," viewing this as an opportunity to examine settlement through trusted infrastructure banks.

Kash Razzaghi, Circle Chief Commercial Officer, noted that institutions across Latin America show growing interest in incorporating stablecoins into current payment environments, framing the project as a means to explore USDC settlement while retaining ties to traditional financial infrastructure.

The initiative aligns with the broader trend of market participants seeking practical methods to introduce digital assets without disrupting existing operational flows.

This proof of concept allows institutions to evaluate settlement arrangements that merge conventional payment networks with digital assets. The involvement of Latin America is significant, as Circle has identified this region as having demand in its expansion assessments.