Major USDC Stablecoin Expands into ‘Solana Killer’ Aptos

Native USDC has finally landed on Aptos — a major move, one that brings Circle’s stablecoin directly onto the high-speed blockchain, eliminating reliance on Ethereum bridges. No more middlemen, just pure 1:1 redeemable USDC issued straight from Circle. And yes, it is coming to Coinbase soon.

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 against Solana and others. With native USDC, DeFi projects on Aptos now have a direct stable, trusted asset to build with. Payments? Easier. Global commerce? Streamlined. Web3 interactions? Smoother. Security? Upgraded.

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The current bridged version is called lzUSDC — USDC came from Ethereum via LayerZero’s AptosBridge. The key distinction? Circle never issued it. It is not natively redeemable for U.S. dollars. It exists, it functions, but it is not the same thing. This difference matters, especially as the ecosystem looks toward institutional adoption.

Then there is the Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP). It is launching on Aptos too, and it is set to reshape how funds move across blockchains. No clunky manual swaps, no unnecessary friction — just seamless capital efficiency across chains for onboarding, treasury management and trading. 

Zoom out

There is a bigger picture here. USDC’s market cap trails behind USDT by a massive $80 billion, a gap that did not always exist. But this could be the start of something. Exchanges seem to be warming up to USDC again, perhaps eyeing the liquidity and compliance benefits it brings.

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USDT still dominates, including on Aptos, where it holds $630 million — just 0.45% of its total supply. But with space clearly available for USDC, the question is whether we are seeing the beginning of a shift. Market demand will decide.

Regulatory factors still loom in the background. The stablecoin landscape is not settled — not by a long shot. But for now? Aptos just became a more serious player.