> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://stablecoininsider.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Circle ACI USDC Pilot: What It Means for Colombia's Bre-B - URL: https://stablecoininsider.org/circle-aci-usdc-colombia/ - Published: 2026-10-28T13:50:44.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-28T13:50:47.000Z - Description: Circle and ACI Worldwide, the company behind Colombia's Bre-B core, plan a USDC settlement pilot through ACI Connetic. Stablecoin Insider separates what was announced from what was not, maps the three rails now inside Connetic and models where a 24/7 dollar leg could free bank liquidity. - Author: Alexandra - Tags: Fintech, Stablecoins, Circle, USDC, LATAM The Circle ACI pilot puts USDC next to one of the fastest-growing instant payment systems in Latin America. On 27 October 2026, ACI Worldwide and Circle said they will show how banks can add USDC settlement to the payment operations they already run, starting in Colombia ([Circle and ACI Worldwide](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx)). Colombia was not picked at random. ACI built the central infrastructure behind Bre-B, the country's interoperable instant payments system run by Banco de la República ([joint release](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx)). That makes the headline easy to misread. Bre-B is not getting USDC, and nobody can send a stablecoin through it today. This analysis lays out what the two companies actually committed to, what they left out, how USDC would sit beside Bre-B and Swift's new ledger inside one ACI platform, and where a 24/7 dollar settlement leg could matter in money terms. ### Key Takeaways - Circle and ACI Worldwide announced a Colombia pilot for USDC settlement through ACI Connetic on 27 October 2026 ([Circle](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx)). - No participating bank, launch date, transaction limit or fee was named, and no live customer service exists ([TokenPost](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/42356)). - Bre-B handled more than 1.7 billion transactions worth over 262 trillion pesos in its first year ([Banco de la República](https://www.banrep.gov.co/es/noticias/bre-b-cumple-un-anio-en-colombia)). - Colombia took in US$9,977.47 million in remittances from January to September 2026 ([Valora Analitik](https://www.valoraanalitik.com/informe-remesas-en-colombia-septiembre-2026-se-completan-28-meses-por-encima-de-us1-000-millones/)). - ACI Connetic added Swift ledger tokenized deposits on 22 September 2026, so USDC becomes its second onchain rail ([ACI Worldwide](https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/aci-worldwide-extends-aci-connetic-support-payments-orchestrated-through-swifts)). ## What the Circle ACI announcement actually says The release describes a collaboration "to show how stablecoin settlement can be integrated into existing banking and payment infrastructure" ([Circle](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx)). It pairs ACI Connetic, ACI's cloud-native payments orchestration platform, with Circle's USDC infrastructure. Craig Ramsey, ACI's global head of account-to-account payments, framed it as a shift "from possibility to practicality." Kash Razzaghi, Circle's chief commercial officer, called it "a practical path for institutions to explore how USDC can fit into established payment environments" ([Circle](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx)). Read the verbs. The companies will "demonstrate," "explore" and help institutions "evaluate." The release says the work explores how USDC can complement Colombia's existing infrastructure and enable "a more connected, multi-rail ecosystem" ([Circle](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx)). That is the language of a proof of concept, not a product launch. It also says ACI Connetic supports "an evolving ecosystem of payment networks, digital asset providers and future settlement models." In other words, USDC is the first stablecoin named here, but ACI is not promising exclusivity ([Circle](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx)). ## What was announced, and what was not Coverage so far has mostly repeated the release. The more useful exercise is to list the gaps, because those gaps decide whether this becomes a real settlement option for Colombian banks. | Item | Status on 28 October 2026 | Source | | ------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Partners | ACI Worldwide (ACI Connetic) and Circle (USDC) | [Circle release](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx) | | First market | Colombia, where ACI built Bre-B's central infrastructure | [Circle release](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx) | | Participating banks | None named | [TokenPost](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/42356) | | Launch date or rollout plan | None given | [TokenPost](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/42356) | | Limits, fees, conversion, compliance | Not disclosed | [TokenPost](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/42356) | | Direct USDC link to Bre-B | Not described; Bre-B does not accept USDC | [Criptoinforme](https://criptoinforme.com/mercado/bre-b-usdc-aci-circle-colombia/) | | Banco de la República role | Not named in the release | [Criptoinforme](https://criptoinforme.com/mercado/bre-b-usdc-aci-circle-colombia/) | ⚠️ You cannot send or receive USDC through Bre-B today, and the announcement does not say that will happen. Bre-B moves Colombian pesos between Colombian accounts. Treat any offer to "send USDC over Bre-B" with suspicion. ## Why Colombia: Bre-B by the numbers Bre-B went live on 6 October 2025\. In its first twelve months Colombians made more than 1.7 billion transactions worth over 262 trillion pesos, and 62% of payments were under 50,000 pesos ([Banco de la República](https://www.banrep.gov.co/es/noticias/bre-b-cumple-un-anio-en-colombia)). That is everyday money: shop payments, transfers between friends, small business takings. | Bre-B metric | Figure | Source | | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Transactions, first year | More than 1.7 billion | [Banco de la República](https://www.banrep.gov.co/es/noticias/bre-b-cumple-un-anio-en-colombia) | | Value, first year | More than 262 trillion pesos | [Banco de la República](https://www.banrep.gov.co/es/noticias/bre-b-cumple-un-anio-en-colombia) | | Users with at least one key | More than 36 million | [Banco de la República](https://www.banrep.gov.co/es/noticias/bre-b-cumple-un-anio-en-colombia) | | Registered keys (aliases) | More than 116 million, 45 million used to receive a payment | [Banco de la República](https://www.banrep.gov.co/es/noticias/bre-b-cumple-un-anio-en-colombia) | | Connected entities | 245, up from about 25 in earlier instant schemes; more than 172 cooperatives | [Banco de la República](https://www.banrep.gov.co/es/noticias/bre-b-cumple-un-anio-en-colombia) | | Busiest day | 10.4 million transactions on 1 October 2026 | [Banco de la República deck](https://www.banrep.gov.co/sites/default/files/publicaciones/archivos/presentacion-bre-b-un-anio.pdf) | | Payments per capita, first full year | 35.5, vs 44.8 for Brazil's Pix in 2021 | [Banco de la República deck](https://www.banrep.gov.co/sites/default/files/publicaciones/archivos/presentacion-bre-b-un-anio.pdf) | | Maximum processing time | 20 seconds | [Banco de la República deck](https://www.banrep.gov.co/sites/default/files/publicaciones/archivos/presentacion-bre-b-un-anio.pdf) | Stablecoin Insider's arithmetic on the central bank's totals: 262 trillion pesos over 1.7 billion payments is roughly 154,000 pesos per transaction, close to the 156,711-peso average Banco de la República reported at six months ([Banco de la República](https://banrep.gov.co/es/noticias/seis-meses-bre-b-acumula-34-millones-usuarios)). And 1.7 billion over 365 days is about 4.7 million payments a day, so the 10.4 million peak was more than twice the average day. ACI's part in this is specific. As Banco de la República's technology partner, it supplies the addressing directory, a real-time clearing and centralised settlement engine, and the interoperability services, and all Bre-B transactions settle instantly through the central bank ([Central Banking](https://www.centralbanking.com/awards/7975406/financial-market-infrastructure-retail-aci-worldwide)). So the pitch to Colombian banks is simple. The vendor that already runs their peso instant rail wants to show them a dollar settlement rail inside the same kind of tooling. ## USDC, Bre-B and Swift's ledger: three rails in one ACI platform The Circle ACI news lands five weeks after a related ACI move. On 22 September 2026, ACI said ACI Connetic would route payments orchestrated through Swift's blockchain-based ledger, letting banks handle tokenized deposits with the same controls and workflows as traditional payments ([ACI Worldwide](https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/aci-worldwide-extends-aci-connetic-support-payments-orchestrated-through-swifts)). Swift has 17 banks across six continents piloting the ledger, according to the same release. ACI's description of Connetic is the key line: using bank and customer rules, it "automatically selects the most appropriate clearing and settlement path" to balance speed, cost, availability and customer expectations ([ACI Worldwide](https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/aci-worldwide-extends-aci-connetic-support-payments-orchestrated-through-swifts)). Add USDC, and a bank on Connetic could in principle pick between three very different kinds of money. | Rail | What settles | Issuer or operator | Scope | Status | Source | | ------------ | ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Bre-B | Colombian pesos, account to account | Banco de la República, core tech by ACI | Domestic, 24/7 | Live since 6 October 2025 | [Banco de la República](https://www.banrep.gov.co/es/noticias/bre-b-cumple-un-anio-en-colombia) | | Swift ledger | Tokenized bank deposits | Swift, with participating banks | Cross-border, beyond banking hours | 17-bank pilot; Connetic routing announced 22 September 2026 | [ACI Worldwide](https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/aci-worldwide-extends-aci-connetic-support-payments-orchestrated-through-swifts) | | USDC | Dollar stablecoin | Regulated affiliates of Circle | Cross-border, onchain | Colombia pilot announced 27 October 2026 | [Circle release](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx) | Stablecoin Insider reads this as ACI positioning itself as the switch, not the rail. Banks already wary of running "a second payment operation" for digital assets, Ramsey's phrase in September, get one control layer for all three ([ACI Worldwide](https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/aci-worldwide-extends-aci-connetic-support-payments-orchestrated-through-swifts)). For background on the ledger itself, see the [Swift blockchain ledger pilot](https://stablecoininsider.org/swift-pilots-blockchain-ledger/). ## Where USDC settlement could actually fit in Colombia Bre-B already solves domestic speed in pesos. What it does not touch is the dollar leg of a cross-border payment, and Colombia has a large one. Remittances reached US$1,077.12 million in September 2026, the 28th straight month above US$1,000 million, and US$9,977.47 million from January to September ([Valora Analitik, citing Banco de la República](https://www.valoraanalitik.com/informe-remesas-en-colombia-septiembre-2026-se-completan-28-meses-por-encima-de-us1-000-millones/)). Criptoinforme, a Spanish-language outlet covering the news, made the same read: if a bank adopts it, the likely first use is between institutions, for example cross-border payments or settlement with dollar counterparties, rather than consumer payments ([Criptoinforme](https://criptoinforme.com/mercado/bre-b-usdc-aci-circle-colombia/)). Neither company has described a consumer product. Bre-B's own roadmap points the same way. On 2 October 2026 Banco de la República published a draft rule for comment that would enable all use cases on Bre-B, including business and government payments, plus value-added services such as e-commerce and request to pay ([Banco de la República deck](https://www.banrep.gov.co/sites/default/files/publicaciones/archivos/presentacion-bre-b-un-anio.pdf)). Business payments are where dollar settlement questions show up first. ## Worked example: the weekend dollar gap Here is the practical problem a 24/7 dollar rail could address. A Colombian payout firm can credit a recipient in seconds on Bre-B on a Sunday. But if its dollar funding only arrives on US banking days, it has to prefund pesos to cover the weekend. Stablecoin Insider modelled the size of that gap with deliberately simple, stated assumptions. These are illustrations, not data about any real firm. | Step | Assumption or calculation | Result | Source | | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1\. Monthly remittance inflow | September 2026 total | US$1,077.12 million | [Valora Analitik](https://www.valoraanalitik.com/informe-remesas-en-colombia-septiembre-2026-se-completan-28-meses-por-encima-de-us1-000-millones/) | | 2\. Average per day | US$1,077.12 million / 30 days | About US$35.9 million | [Valora Analitik](https://www.valoraanalitik.com/informe-remesas-en-colombia-septiembre-2026-se-completan-28-meses-por-encima-de-us1-000-millones/) | | 3\. One payout operator | Hypothetical 10% share of flows | About US$3.59 million a day | Stablecoin Insider assumption | | 4\. Weekend funding gap | Hypothetical 2.5 days with no dollar settlement (Friday close to Monday open) | About US$8.98 million to prefund | Stablecoin Insider assumption | | 5\. With a 24/7 USDC leg | Hypothetical half-day buffer instead | About US$1.80 million | Stablecoin Insider assumption | | 6\. Liquidity freed | Step 4 minus step 5 | About US$7.18 million | Stablecoin Insider calculation | On those assumptions, a single mid-sized operator could release about US$7.18 million of idle prefunding, built on the September remittance figure of US$1,077.12 million ([Valora Analitik](https://www.valoraanalitik.com/informe-remesas-en-colombia-septiembre-2026-se-completan-28-meses-por-encima-de-us1-000-millones/)). Scale the share up or down and the result moves in proportion. Now the catch, which the release does not address. Receiving USDC on a Saturday only helps if someone will convert it to pesos on a Saturday, at a fair rate, inside Colombian foreign exchange rules. Without a weekend USDC to peso market, the firm swaps a dollar timing gap for a conversion timing gap. That is why a named Colombian bank matters more than the technology. For how stablecoin conversion and payout providers handle that last step today, Stablecoin Insider's guide to [stablecoin FX platforms for cross-border payments](https://stablecoininsider.org/best-stablecoin-fx-platforms-for-cross-border-payments-in-2026/) compares the main options. [Compare stablecoin FX platforms for cross-border payments](https://stablecoininsider.org/best-stablecoin-fx-platforms-for-cross-border-payments-in-2026/) ## Why Circle wants this: the emerging markets push The pilot fits a strategy Jeremy Allaire spelled out on 16 October 2026: Circle plans to enter about 40 emerging and developing countries across Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East ([Reuters via CNA](https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/stablecoin-issuer-circle-push-40-new-markets-ceo-says-6465526)). The same report cited a US$400 million acquisition of Tazapay and USDC circulation of US$73.3 billion in the second quarter, up 19% year over year. Latin America already has a Circle footprint. Mercado Pago introduced USDC to customers in Chile in August, as The Crypto Times noted in its coverage of the ACI news ([The Crypto Times](https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/10/28/circle-aci-explore-usdc-settlement-in-colombias-payment-network/)). Colombia itself has seen stablecoin products aimed at consumers, such as the [MoneyGram stablecoin Visa card](https://stablecoininsider.org/moneygram-stablecoin-visa-card-colombia/) launched there in September. The ACI route is different from those. It sells to the banks and cooperatives that already connect to national infrastructure, rather than to end users. If it works, USDC arrives in Colombia as back-office plumbing, not as an app. [MoneyGram Launches Stablecoin Visa Card in ColombiaHow the MoneyGram Card ties a stable-dollar balance to everyday spend in Colombia, and what remittance operators should check.![](https://stablecoininsider.org/favicon.ico)Stablecoin Insider](https://stablecoininsider.org/moneygram-stablecoin-visa-card-colombia/) ## Who should pay attention - Colombian banks and cooperatives: more than 172 cooperatives now connect to Bre-B ([Banco de la República](https://www.banrep.gov.co/es/noticias/bre-b-cumple-un-anio-en-colombia)), whose central infrastructure ACI built ([Circle release](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx)). - Remittance and payout firms: monthly inflows have stayed above US$1,000 million for 28 months, so any cut in prefunding is material ([Valora Analitik](https://www.valoraanalitik.com/informe-remesas-en-colombia-septiembre-2026-se-completan-28-meses-por-encima-de-us1-000-millones/)). - Treasury teams with dollar counterparties: the most plausible first use is institution to institution settlement, not consumer payments ([Criptoinforme](https://criptoinforme.com/mercado/bre-b-usdc-aci-circle-colombia/)). - Compliance leads: how a Colombian institution would hold and convert USDC under local rules is not covered in the release; Stablecoin Insider's [Latin America stablecoin regulation guide](https://stablecoininsider.org/stablecoin-regulation-in-latin-america/) sets out the current framework. For a wider view of how stablecoin rails compare with correspondent banking on cost and speed, see [cross-border payments on stablecoin rails](https://stablecoininsider.org/cross-border-payments-on-stablecoin-rails/). 💡 Stablecoin Insider's take: This is a sales demo with a very good address. ACI runs the core of a system that processed 1.7 billion payments in a year, and it now offers banks one control layer for pesos, tokenized deposits and USDC. The test of whether it matters is narrow: a named Colombian bank, a weekend USDC to peso conversion path, and a stated position from Banco de la República. Until those appear, the Circle ACI pilot is a capability, not a corridor. ## FAQ #### What did Circle and ACI Worldwide announce? A collaboration to show how banks can add USDC settlement to existing payment operations through ACI Connetic, starting with a pilot focused on Colombia ([Circle](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx)). #### Can you send USDC through Bre-B? No. Bre-B moves Colombian pesos between accounts, and the announcement does not say USDC will be added to it ([Criptoinforme](https://criptoinforme.com/mercado/bre-b-usdc-aci-circle-colombia/)). #### Which Colombian banks are in the Circle ACI pilot? None have been named. The companies also gave no rollout date, limits, fees or conversion details ([TokenPost](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/42356)). #### What is ACI Connetic? ACI's cloud-native payments orchestration platform. It brings traditional payment types, digital assets and card payments onto one platform ([Circle](https://investor.circle.com/news/news-details/2026/ACI-Worldwide-and-Circle-Collaborate-to-Bring-USDC-Settlement-to-Existing-Payments-Infrastructure-in-Latin-America/default.aspx)), and since 22 September 2026 it also routes Swift ledger tokenized deposit payments ([ACI Worldwide](https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/aci-worldwide-extends-aci-connetic-support-payments-orchestrated-through-swifts)). #### Why does ACI matter for Bre-B? ACI is Banco de la República's technology partner for Bre-B and supplies its addressing directory, clearing and settlement engine and interoperability services ([Central Banking](https://www.centralbanking.com/awards/7975406/financial-market-infrastructure-retail-aci-worldwide)). #### Is this part of a wider Circle expansion? Yes. Circle's chief executive said on 16 October 2026 that the company plans to enter about 40 emerging and developing countries ([Reuters via CNA](https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/stablecoin-issuer-circle-push-40-new-markets-ceo-says-6465526)). ## What to watch next Three signals will show whether the Circle ACI pilot turns into a live settlement option: a named participating bank or cooperative, a disclosed USDC to peso conversion path, and any comment from Banco de la República, which was not named in the release ([Criptoinforme](https://criptoinforme.com/mercado/bre-b-usdc-aci-circle-colombia/)). Circle reports third-quarter results on 4 November 2026 ([Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/crypto/articles/chatbots-rather-skip-usdc-mizuho-005800921.html)), which is the next chance for management to say whether Colombia is one of its 40 target markets in practice, and on what timeline. This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal or tax advice. Company announcements, pilot scopes and payment statistics can change, and the Stablecoin Insider scenarios in this article are simplified illustrations with stated assumptions, not forecasts. No material herein should be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement, or solicitation to buy or sell.