Input Output Group has today announced a major step forward for the Cardano ecosystem, the launch of USDCx on Cardano using Circle’s xReserve infrastructure.
Delivered through Cardano’s Critical Integrations program, this milestone opens the door to USDC-backed stablecoin use across Cardano’s growing decentralized finance (DeFi), payments, and real-world use cases.
The Cardano Critical Integrations program was approved for community funding earlier this year and is overseen by the ecosystem’s five core organizations: Input Output Group, the Cardano Foundation, EMURGO, the Midnight Foundation, and administrator Intersect, Cardano’s member-based organization. A dedicated engineering team led by Input Output Group and Midgard Labs was established in late 2025 to lead the integration.
USDCx on Cardano is a dollar-denominated stablecoin, fully backed by USDC held in xReserve. This integration provides a way for developers and users to access USDC-backed liquidity through a secure, transparent, and interoperable infrastructure.
For the first 10 days, IOG will subsidize bridge fees for USDCx transfers to Cardano to help you get started with lower costs, with all other network and DEX fees remaining the responsibility of the user - see the FAQs for more details.
Powering the minting of USDCx on Cardano through secure, verifiable attestations, xReserve works seamlessly with Circle Gateway and Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) to ensure smooth interoperability between USDCx and USDC across supported blockchains without relying on third-party bridges. Users will be able to deposit USDC on Ethereum, receive USDCx on Cardano, and swap directly into any Cardano native asset, including ADA, in a single transaction.
USDCx on Cardano is designed to operate alongside Cardano's existing native stablecoin ecosystem. Cardano-native stablecoins continue to support innovation, decentralization, and Cardano-specific monetary design. USDCx can unlock additional enterprise adoption and institutional integrations for Cardano, connecting the ecosystem to external markets, platforms, and partners that require USDC as a prerequisite for engagement.
Key characteristics of USDCx on Cardano:
- Security: minted on Cardano using attestations generated by Circle’s audited xReserve infrastructure rather than third-party bridges
- Interoperable with USDC: enables 1:1 movement between USDCx and USDC across supported chains via Circle Gateway and CCTP
- Direct access to global liquidity: USDCx can be deposited into supported exchanges that support USDC, giving Cardano users seamless access to off-ramps
- Reduced trust assumptions: transfers are verified through xReserve attestations, minimising reliance on external validators.
Alongside the core integration work, engagement is now underway with leading Cardano decentralized exchanges, lending applications, and wallet providers to support launch readiness. The integration work focuses on delivering a strong day-one mainnet experience, enabling users to mint USDCx directly within supported Cardano DEXs or lending platforms and immediately trade or deploy liquidity without leaving the application interface. From day one, USDCx will have active ecosystem support, with immediate DeFi utility across trading, liquidity provision, and lending. The bridge portal also enables seamless access to leading Cardano protocols, including Minswap, Liqwid, and SundaeSwap through the DEX Direct feature, as well as a direct import option from supported CEXs.
With the deployment of USDCx on Cardano via Circle xReserve, developers and institutions gain access to a USDC-backed stablecoin that expands the range of financial use cases supported on the network. USDCx and its cross-chain interoperability enable:
- Cross-border payments: faster, cheaper international transfers
- Direct exchange access: deposit USDCx directly into participating centralized exchanges that support USDCx
- DEXs: creation of ADA/USDCx trading pairs and liquidity pools
- Lending markets: enablement of USDCx as collateral
- Wallets and DApps: integration of minting and burning functionality where appropriate.
USDCx represents a significant step toward Cardano's vision of global financial inclusion, while continuing to build on and alongside Cardano's native stablecoin innovation.
About Input Output
Input Output (IO) is a world-leading blockchain infrastructure and research engineering firm dedicated to building a sustainable Web3 ecosystem and advancing frontier technologies across sectors, including healthcare, fintech, digital identity, and high-performance computing. IO delivers secure, scalable, and decentralized systems through pioneering research and rigorous engineering, supporting technologies such as Cardano, Midnight, Hydra, Lace, and more.
Media contact:
George Olexa
george.olexa@iog.io
