Circle Foundation Backs UN Stablecoin Payment Pilots

The UNDP will utilize its funding to establish a Digital Asset Innovation Pool, a mechanism designed to help country offices integrate digital payments into existing programs. By drawing on previous successful pilots—such as a project in Syria that slashed distribution costs from 10% to 2%—the pool will provide the guidance and operational safeguards necessary for scaling these methods. According to Robert Pasicko, team lead at UNDP’s Alternative Finance Lab, the goal is to provide a viable alternative to traditional banking channels, particularly in areas where standard systems remain costly or inaccessible.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme is preparing for a three-year testing phase across two to three country corridors. This grant, directed through World Food Program USA, focuses on building the underlying infrastructure, including risk controls, treasury reconciliation systems, and compliance frameworks. Bernhard Kowatsch, director of WFP Global Accelerator and Ventures, noted that these trials will provide the empirical evidence needed to assess the resilience and transparency of stablecoin payments in humanitarian settings. Both initiatives are supported by an equity commitment from the U.S.-listed Circle Internet Group, continuing the foundation’s broader push to modernize financial operations across the UN system.