Circle Foundation backs UN push to move aid payments onchain

Circle Foundation has unveiled two initiatives with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to explore digital payments and regulated stablecoin infrastructure for development and humanitarian operations.

The support is expected to help international organizations improve the speed, cost and transparency of payments while expanding access to digital financial services, Circle Foundation said Friday.

The team noted that UNDP will use a Circle Foundation grant to establish the Digital Asset Innovation Pool, which will provide a structured framework for using regulated payment stablecoins in development programs.

The pool, which will complement existing banking channels, is designed to help UNDP country offices transition successful experiments into regular program delivery, the Foundation added. It will provide operational and regulatory guidance, beneficiary safeguards and tools for measuring payment costs, delivery times and reach.

Circle Foundation will also provide a grant to World Food Program USA to support WFP’s work on stablecoin-enabled payment infrastructure. The initiative will develop governance, risk, treasury, reconciliation and compliance systems while connecting local fintech and mobile money providers.

WFP plans to test two to three country corridors over three years and use the results to assess efficiency, transparency and resilience for its own operations and the wider humanitarian sector.