Circle Advances Digital Transformation of UN Infrastructure for Humanitarian Aid Payments

Source: Coinspaidmedia Original Title: Circle Advances Digital Transformation of UN Infrastructure for Humanitarian Aid Payments Original Link: Circle Foundation announced the award of an international grant to develop digital financial solutions within the United Nations (UN) system, aimed at accelerating humanitarian payments, reducing costs, and increasing transparency in fund flows.

During the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Circle Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 2025 by Circle Internet Group, the issuer of one of the world's largest stablecoins by market cap, announced funding to support the Digital Hub of Treasury Solutions (DHoTS).

DHoTS is a UN platform launched in 2021 under the leadership of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to modernize cross-border financial operations within the UN system.

DHoTS is developing a unified financial gateway based on next-generation technologies, including blockchain solutions and advanced risk management tools. With technical support from the UN International Computing Centre, the platform expanded over four years from a single agency to 15 UN organizations, including:

• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

According to the UN, the global humanitarian aid system redistributes more than $38 billion annually, while a significant share of operations is still carried out through outdated banking mechanisms, causing delays and additional costs. Pilot projects launched by UNHCR since 2022 have shown that the use of blockchain payments and regulated stablecoins enables faster and more transparent disbursements and can reduce program operating costs by up to 20%.

According to Elisabeth Carpenter, Chief Strategic Engagement Officer at Circle and Founding Chair of Circle Foundation, the allocated funds will accelerate the deployment of digital financial infrastructure based on regulated stablecoins, particularly USDC, for fund distribution and transfer operations.

The initiative builds on Circle's previous collaboration with UNHCR, which included the rollout of USDC-based aid payments for displaced persons from Ukraine in 2022. The new grant is aimed at scaling these solutions across the entire UN system, from near-instant cross-border transfers to automated fund distribution and simplified financial reporting. According to Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, modernizing shared infrastructure will enable sustainable cost savings year after year and increase accountability of humanitarian programs to donors.