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UN Secures Circle Grant to Modernize $38 Billion Aid Payments With Regulated Stablecoins

The funding moves the UN’s digital payments hub from pilots to system integration across 15 agencies under a compliance‑first, fully traceable design.

Overview

  • Circle Foundation announced its first international grant at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, 2026 to support the UN’s Digital Hub of Treasury Solutions.
  • The initiative targets faster, cheaper cross‑border disbursements for humanitarian programs by deploying regulated stablecoin rails and programmable payouts.
  • UNHCR pilots since 2022, including USDC assistance to displaced Ukrainians, reported delivery gains and initial cost savings of up to roughly 20 percent.
  • DHoTS, founded in 2021, has expanded to coordinate treasury solutions across 15 UN agencies and to build a shared Financial Gateway with technical partners.
  • Planned capabilities include near‑instant transfers, full audit trails, and conversion into local currencies through banks, mobile‑money operators, and fintechs, with a focus on regulated tokens rather than unregulated crypto.