Circle has unveiled a curated marketplace where AI agents can discover and pay for services using USDC and the x402 protocol. According to Circle, CEO Jeremy Allaire stated that the new protocol enables agents to seamlessly access consumable services, building on a growing ecosystem with over 900 endpoints. Developers can now query Circle's Discovery API—without an API key or authentication—to tap into the Agent Marketplace catalog, programmatically integrating payment flows for AI-driven subscriptions, data, and compute resources. This AI Agent Discovery Layer introduces a curated marketplace where software agents can discover and pay for services using USDC and the x402 protocol, enabling seamless access to consumable services in the growing ecosystem.
Circle announced that native USDC and its Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) are now live on OKX's X Layer, an Ethereum-compatible layer-2 network. According to reports from Cointelegraph, this integration supports USDC cross-chain transfers between X Layer and other compatible blockchains via a burn-mint mechanism, applicable to scenarios such as payments, DeFi lending, and trading. The integration replaces bridged USDC with Circle-issued tokens directly on the chain, removing reliance on wrapped assets and third-party liquidity pools. CCTP allows USDC to move between 26 supported blockchains via a burn-and-mint process, ensuring native asset consistency. Qualified businesses can also issue and redeem USDC through Circle Mint on X Layer, subject to compliance requirements.
Circle's Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol enables cross-chain USDC transfers without wrapped assets or conventional liquidity pools. The protocol allows users to move USDC between supported networks through a burn-and-mint process, where USDC is burned on the originating chain before an equivalent amount is issued on the destination chain. Following the X Layer integration, CCTP is now available across 26 blockchains, while native USDC has expanded to 36 networks. This rollout positions X Layer for DeFi, payments, tokenized real-world assets, and AI applications, while the x402 ecosystem enables automated micropayments between agents and services.
This collaboration brings USDC into OKX's centralized exchange ecosystem, with the exchange's spot trading volume exceeding $975 million in the past 24 hours, ranking it as the fourth largest cryptocurrency exchange globally. As reported by Cointelegraph, X Layer is compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine, enabling developers to migrate Ethereum applications at low cost. The integration provides enhanced liquidity and accessibility for USDC users within the OKX trading environment, positioning X Layer for broader applications including DeFi, payments, tokenized real-world assets, and AI applications.
Circle is preparing to launch the public mainnet of its Arc blockchain on September 16, with BlackRock, DTCC, Mastercard, Visa, and other financial institutions serving as founding validators. As reported by crypto.news, Circle recently secured a limited-purpose trust charter from the New York Department of Financial Services and final approval for a national trust bank from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. USDC circulation reached $73.3 billion during the second quarter, up 19% year-over-year, while on-chain transaction volume rose 151% year-over-year to $14.8 trillion. The company's expansion comes as it positions itself at the intersection of regulated stablecoins and evolving machine-driven finance infrastructure.
