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Circle Foundation , a philanthropic initiative supported by Circle Internet Group, Inc.'s (NYSE: CRCL) 1% equity commitment, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP), today announced two initiatives to improve digital payments for development and humanitarian action.
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The initiatives will explore how digital payments and improved digital financial infrastructure can help international organizations move resources, deliver support more efficiently and advance financial resilience and inclusion.
"Around the world, the need for humanitarian aid keeps growing while the resources to meet it are stretched thinner than ever," said Elisabeth Carpenter, Chief Strategic Engagement Officer, Circle, and Founding Chair, Circle Foundation. "If we can help humanitarian and development institutions move value faster, more transparently, and at lower cost, we can ensure more of every aid dollar actually reaches the people who need it. Circle Foundation's support for UNDP and WFP is about strengthening the shared infrastructure powering these organizations so that life-saving and life-sustaining aid reaches people in crisis faster, without the delays and costs of outdated systems."
Enabling UNDP to move from pilots to programme delivery
Circle Foundation's grant will enable UNDP to establish and operate the Digital Asset Innovation Pool, a new mechanism designed for the responsible use of digital assets via regulated payment stablecoins in development programmes to accelerate delivery.
The work builds on digital payment solutions piloted through UNDP's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Blockchain Accelerator, a global initiative led by the Alternative Finance Lab that develops and scales practical solutions using blockchain, AI and other emerging technologies to advance the SDGs. The pilots tested digital Cash-for-Work payments in Aleppo, Syria; disbursements designed for low-connectivity conditions in Haiti; a remittance-linked community investment model in Guatemala; and mobile wallets connected to existing cash-agent networks in The Gambia. The Digital Asset Innovation Pool will build on these lessons by helping Country Offices move from individual pilots to regular programme delivery, with structured implementation support, regulatory and operational guidance, beneficiary safeguards, and tools to track delivery time, cost and reach.
"Getting resources to people should not be the most difficult or expensive part of delivering a programme. The Digital Asset Innovation Pool will support UNDP in using digital payments responsibly to make last-mile programme payments faster, more affordable and easier to access – especially for people underserved by conventional banking. We want to make sure more of every dollar reaches the people and communities it is meant to support," said Robert Pasicko, Team Lead, UNDP Alternative Finance Lab.
The Pool is not intended to replace established banking channels. It will provide an additional option for contexts in which conventional payment systems create significant costs, delays or barriers to access.
Supporting WFP's shared humanitarian payment infrastructure
A separate grant from Circle Foundation to World Food Program USA will support WFP and the WFP Innovation Accelerator in building the institutional infrastructure needed to deploy and scale regulated, stablecoin-enabled payments.
The funding will support the underlying systems that make stablecoin adoption sustainable: governance and risk frameworks, treasury and reconciliation systems, and compliance tools built to hold up across multiple country operations. It will also fund local fintech and mobile money integration, along with independent, sector-wide research on cost, speed and operational feasibility – giving the broader humanitarian sector its first real benchmarks on stablecoin-enabled payments.
Over the next three years, WFP will test two to three country corridors connecting WFP payments with local financial providers and markets, generating evidence on efficiency, transparency and resilience for WFP and the wider humanitarian sector.
"Digital payments have the potential to make humanitarian assistance faster, more efficient, and more resilient, while also fostering greater financial inclusion for the people we serve. Circle Foundation's support enables us to explore regulated stablecoin-enabled payment solutions in real-world contexts and build the evidence, partnerships, and infrastructure needed to scale responsibly," said Bernhard Kowatsch, Director, WFP Global Accelerator and Ventures.
The new contributions expand Circle Foundation's support for digital financial infrastructure across the UN system. In 2021, the Digital Hub of Treasury Solutions (DHoTS) was launched by UNHCR as a shared platform to modernize financial infrastructure across the UN system, bringing together 15 participating organizations, including UNDP and WFP. In January 2026, Circle Foundation announced its first international grant in support of DHoTS to streamline financial transfers, reduce costs and improve transparency.
About Circle Foundation
Established by Circle Internet Group in 2025, Circle Foundation is a donor-advised fund managed by Fidelity Charitable. It advances financial resilience and inclusion through strategic grantmaking and systems-level investments. Seeded by Circle's Pledge 1% equity commitment, the Foundation directs financial resources and expertise toward creating lasting economic impact.
About the United Nations Development Programme
UNDP is the leading United Nations organisation fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. UNDP Alternative Finance Lab is a UNDP initiative that connects finance, innovation, and emerging technologies to explore, test, and scale new approaches for sustainable development.
About the World Food Program USA and the WFP Innovation Accelerator
World Food Program USA , a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, D.C., proudly supports the mission of the World Food Programme (WFP) by mobilizing American policymakers, businesses and individuals to advance the global movement to end hunger. The WFP Innovation Accelerator was launched by WFP in 2015 to source, implement and scale high-impact innovations. From its base in Munich, Germany, the WFP Innovation Accelerator has grown to become one of the world's leading social impact startup accelerators. In 2025, the WFP Innovation Accelerator ran 14 programmes addressing a wide range of social impact and sustainability issues. Its portfolio, comprising over 85 innovations and 29 alumni projects, reached 132.5 million individuals across 75 countries and territories. In total, WFP Innovation Accelerator supported ventures have catalysed over USD 383 million in funding since 2015.
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