Circle Launches Gas-Free USDC Nanopayments on Seven Blockchain Networks

The rollout supports transfers as small as $0.000001 on Ethereum, Solana, Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, Polygon and Sonic, targeting AI agents and micro-transactions.

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Summary

Circle has launched gas-free USDC nanopayments on mainnet across seven blockchain networks: Ethereum, Solana, Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, Polygon and Sonic. The service supports transfers down to $0.000001, positioning it for AI agents and micro-transactions that require very small payment sizes. By removing gas fees (network transaction charges), the rollout addresses a common barrier to low-value blockchain payments, where transaction costs can exceed the payment itself. The move expands practical payment use cases for USDC, a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin, across multiple major networks.

Terms & Concepts
  • USDC: A U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin, designed to maintain a stable value for payments, trading and blockchain-based transfers.
  • Gas fees: Network transaction charges paid to process activity on a blockchain. High gas costs can make very small payments uneconomical.
  • Mainnet: The live public version of a blockchain network where real transactions and assets are processed.