Circle and ClearBank Unite to Bring Stablecoin Payments to Europe’s Banking System
ClearBank, a crypto-friendly neobank and regulated provider of Faster Payments in the U.K., has announced plans to join the Circle Payments Network (CPN)—a move that will link its cloud-native banking platform directly to Circle’s blockchain-based infrastructure.
The partnership aims to transform the speed and efficiency of global money movement while introducing clients to regulated stablecoins backed by Circle Internet Group.
The agreement marks a new chapter in ClearBank’s evolution as it becomes one of the first European banks to integrate with Circle’s payments network. The collaboration is designed to allow businesses to move funds globally at near-instant speed, bridging the gap between traditional banking systems and blockchain-powered settlement.
Aligning with Circle’s Stablecoin Vision
The partnership between ClearBank and Circle centers around expanding access to Circle Mint, a platform that lets financial institutions mint and redeem USDC and EURC, both of which are fully reserved and built to comply with Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation.
By joining the CPN, ClearBank gains a direct link to one of the most established stablecoin infrastructures in the world—offering its clients a seamless way to access digital dollars and euros within a regulated environment.
The stablecoin firm launched the CPN earlier this year to enable real-time cross-border transfers using stablecoins as the settlement layer. The network has already attracted significant attention from financial institutions seeking to move beyond legacy banking rails.
ClearBank’s integration now extends Circle’s reach into the U.K. and European financial ecosystem, reinforcing its ambition to build a global settlement network powered by blockchain.
From Building Its Own Stablecoin to Partnering with Circle
Interestingly, ClearBank’s decision to join Circle’s network comes after reports that the U.K. neobank had been exploring its own stablecoin initiative.
However, sources suggest that navigating regulatory requirements—especially those tied to the Bank of England—proved to be a challenging path. By aligning with Circle, ClearBank sidesteps the complexities of launching its own digital currency while still embracing the benefits of blockchain-based payments.
This collaboration signals a pragmatic shift: rather than competing in the stablecoin race, ClearBank is leveraging an established player’s regulatory-compliant infrastructure to accelerate its innovation in cross-border finance.
Stablecoin market cap (Source: DefiLlama)
A Shared Vision for Programmable Money
Both companies have emphasized the transformative potential of programmable money in modern finance.
ClearBank’s CEO, Mark Fairless, described the partnership as a “milestone” in the company’s mission to modernize cross-border transactions. Meanwhile, Sanja Kon, Circle’s Vice President for EMEA Partnerships, said the collaboration will help expand access to “open, programmable money” within Europe’s financial system.
The two firms also plan to explore new use cases, including stablecoin-based treasury services and tokenized asset settlements. These applications could make financial operations—such as corporate payments, settlements, and remittances—faster, cheaper, and more transparent by reducing reliance on legacy correspondent banking systems.
The Bigger Picture for Stablecoins and Payments
The ClearBank–Circle partnership arrives at a pivotal moment for the global payments industry, where traditional financial institutions are increasingly looking to blockchain to modernize their operations.
With Circle’s CPN gaining traction since its April debut and partners like Coinbase already integrating stablecoin-driven payment services, the collaboration reinforces the growing legitimacy of stablecoins as a foundation for regulated financial infrastructure.
As both companies continue to develop the partnership, their combined expertise—ClearBank’s regulated clearing operations and the stablecoin firm’s blockchain payment rails—could redefine how money moves across borders. The result may be a new standard for speed, transparency, and efficiency in global finance.
