Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said iPhone users will soon be able to use the USDC stablecoin for tap-and-go device payments. This follows Apple’s recent decision to open the iPhone near-field communication (NFC) chip to third-party developers.
The NFC chip is the wireless technology powering Apple Pay and Wallet exclusively. It has been a subject of regulatory scrutiny in the European Union, where regulators claim that the restriction limits the growth of competing payment apps on its devices. Although Apple has opened access to the technology in the EU for a while, it is now extending access to more regions.
USDC payments on Apple’s iPhone
In a follow-up to an earlier post, Allaire called on Web3 developers to familiarize themselves with Apple SDKs and build the tool. He noted that it is now up to Web3 wallet developers to create iOS applications that support the USDC stablecoin and are integrated for tap-and-go payments. Such a wallet will allow USDC holders to pay merchants with the stablecoin directly.
Allaire noted that for this to work, other stakeholders, including PoS makers and payment processors, need to update their devices to process NFC instructions and upgrade to support native USDC settlement.
He explained:
“If a iOS wallet that supports USDC enables this, they could enable a UX where a receiving device (like a Point-of-Sale, or another iOS device) could receive the transaction info via a tap.”
He noted that this integration will apply to several crypto-native products, not just USDC. This will include other stablecoins and non-fungible tokens.
Meanwhile, the CEO clarified that Apple and Circle are not in any partnership. Instead, his statement results from Apple’s opening of NFC chips to third-party developers, which will allow other wallet apps to use them for payments. The tech giant has already announced that developers would pay to use the technology and must accept Apple’s terms in a commercial agreement.
More crypto payment solutions go mainstream
The anticipated USDC integration is the latest example of the growing adoption of crypto for mainstream payments. Earlier this week, leading crypto wallet developer MetaMask announced a partnership with Mastercard and Baanx to issue a crypto debit card in the United Kingdom and European Union.
For Circle, integrating USDC on iPhones could mark a major milestone as the company pursues further growth and aims to become a public company. It could also help it challenge the dominant stablecoin, Tether USDT, and maintain its position over emerging ones such as Ripple RLUSD and PayPal PYUSD.
Many people have welcomed these developments as a great sign for the industry. Crypto podcaster Marty Party described the USDC integration as the “biggest advancement in crypto adoption ever.”
However, not everyone agrees with Circle’s CEO and Marty Party. These people have noted that the continued integration of crypto into traditional finance highlights how the industry has lost sight of its origins. Privacy advocate Aaron Day called the planned integration of USDC into iOS a recipe for disaster, not the freedom that crypto promised.
