Circle Internet Group and Polymarket have joined forces to upgrade how users settle trades on the world’s largest prediction market. The partnership, announced on February 5, 2026, brings native USDC to Polymarket’s platform, replacing the bridged version that previously handled all trading activity. Circle, trading on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker CRCL, positions itself as a leading internet financial platform company.
Polymarket transitions to native USDC settlement, eliminating bridged tokens and enhancing trade reliability on the world’s largest prediction market platform.
Until now, Polymarket relied on Bridged USDC, known as USDC.e, running on the Polygon blockchain. This version required cross-chain bridges to move funds between networks, introducing security risks and fragmenting liquidity across different ecosystems. While USDC.e kept Polygon active and served prediction market traders well, it functioned more like an unofficial placeholder than a permanent solution.
The migration happening over the coming months will bring native USDC directly to Polymarket. Native USDC gets issued straight from Circle’s regulated affiliates, eliminating the need for bridges entirely. Every native USDC can be redeemed one-to-one for actual US dollars, backed by regulated reserves that provide transparency users can trust. This change should also help reduce volatility related to market hours by aligning settlement with regulated market hours and trusted settlement rails.
This shift matters because Polymarket has grown into a significant platform for predicting real-world events. Users bet on cryptocurrency prices, political outcomes, and other happenings using stablecoin collateral. The platform recently hit peaks of over 2.19 million daily transfers, with 18 transfers per active wallet. Open interest climbed past $319 million, showing serious participation. Most users trade multiple markets, averaging around 5 markets per user.
Jeremy Allaire, representing Circle, emphasized that USDC enables internet-speed money with practical utility. Shayne Coplan from Polymarket highlighted how the partnership strengthens prediction markets through a consistent dollar settlement standard. Coplan noted Circle’s infrastructure has become critical for the crypto space.
Native USDC offers capital efficiency and scalability that bridged versions cannot match. It enhances market integrity for growing participation while reducing reliance on intermediary bridge mechanisms. Cross-chain bridges introduce trade-offs among security, trust, and flexibility that native settlement avoids. The move aligns with broader trends toward regulated settlement rails in blockchain finance, positioning Circle as essential market infrastructure on Polygon. For Polymarket users, this means more reliable collateral and smoother trading experiences as prediction markets converge with established digital asset standards.
