Circle Foundation, a philanthropic initiative supported by Circle Internet Group, announced its first international grant to the United Nations’ Digital Hub of Treasury Solutions (DHoTS) to modernize and streamline financial operations across the UN system. The grant aims to enhance transparency, reduce costs, and enable secure, real-time access to financial systems and markets worldwide. The announcement was made during a World Economic Forum panel at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
Founded by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, DHoTS was launched in 2021 as a joint UN platform to create an integrated Financial Gateway using advanced banking, risk management, and technology solutions to strengthen financial resilience across UN agencies. The platform now includes 15 agencies such as UNDP, IOM, WMO, OECD, and ICAO, supported technically by the UN International Computing Centre. Circle Foundation’s grant builds on Circle’s 2022 collaboration with UNHCR, which pioneered USDC-based cash assistance for displaced Ukrainians.
Elisabeth Carpenter, Chief Strategic Engagement Officer at Circle and Founding Chair of Circle Foundation, highlighted that integrating regulated stablecoins with AI-enabled compliance and risk management will make aid faster, more accountable, and cost-efficient across the UN system, unlocking recurring savings while strengthening trust in global aid. Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, emphasized that DHoTS’s expansion, supported by Circle Foundation, leverages digital financial infrastructure to deliver aid more securely, efficiently, and transparently, while preserving the dignity and choice of displaced populations.
Alexander De Croo, UNDP Administrator, noted that DHoTS addresses the urgent challenge of making every dollar in the global humanitarian system work harder. Using regulated stablecoins for program payments and cross-border transfers reduces costs, improves transparency, protects data, and supports inclusive and resilient financial systems.
The global humanitarian aid system moves around $38 billion annually but still depends on legacy, time-intensive financial infrastructure. UNHCR pilots since 2022 demonstrated that digital financial systems and regulated stablecoins enable faster, more traceable, and lower-cost aid delivery. Circle Foundation’s support will help DHoTS enable near-instant cross-border transfers, local currency conversions through banks and fintech partners, programmable disbursements, and system-wide infrastructure upgrades for increased accountability and efficiency.
Circle Foundation, established in 2025 and managed by Fidelity Charitable, is funded through Circle Internet Group’s Pledge 1% equity commitment. It aims to advance financial resilience and inclusion through strategic grantmaking and systems-level investments, channeling Circle’s expertise and resources to create lasting economic and humanitarian impact.
