Circle’s Game-Changing Move: Native USDC Launches on Hyperliquid with Strategic $HYPE Token Investment

Stablecoin giant Circle just dropped a bombshell—native USDC integration on Hyperliquid's perpetual futures platform, backed by a strategic investment in $HYPE tokens.

Why This Matters

This isn't just another listing. Circle's direct investment signals serious confidence in Hyperliquid's infrastructure. Traders get seamless access to the world's second-largest stablecoin without bridging headaches or wrapping fees.

The Mechanics

Hyperliquid's order book now processes USDC natively—cutting settlement times from minutes to milliseconds. No more converting between assets mid-trade. The platform's perpetual swaps leverage USDC's deep liquidity while bypassing traditional banking rails entirely.

Market Impact

Expect volume spikes as arbitrageurs flock to exploit pricing inefficiencies. Hyperliquid's TVL could double within weeks—though let's be real, in crypto, 'weeks' might as well be decades given how fast this space moves.

Circle's endgame? Probably swallowing more DeFi market share while traditional finance still debates whether stablecoins are 'too risky'—as if their 0.01% savings accounts aren't literally bleeding value to inflation.

Native USDC and CCTPv2 Go Live on HyperEVM

In an official blog post, Circle revealed that it has deployed native USDC and CCTPv2 on HyperEVM, extending stablecoin access to Hyperliquid’s community. The company also confirmed upcoming support for USDC deposits and cross-chain interoperability via CCTP in the coming weeks.

Circle further emphasized its long-term commitment by becoming a direct stakeholder in the Hyperliquid ecosystem through its initial investment in $HYPE. The company is also evaluating whether to become a Hyperliquid validator while collaborating with HyperEVM builders.

Previously, USDC was the leading stablecoin on the Hyperliquid DEX, but users had to bridge it via Arbitrum. With this launch, USDC is now natively integrated.

Strategic Timing Ahead of USDH Launch

Circle’s MOVE is strategically timed, as USDH, Hyperliquid’s own native stablecoin, is preparing to go live. USDH will compete directly with USDC for dominance in the ecosystem.

According to CoinMarketCap, $HYPE is currently trading at $53.61, up 2.2% in the past 24 hours, amid growing excitement around the news.

Industry Reactions: A Milestone for Hyperliquid

• VanEck’s Head of Research Matthew Sigel called Circle’s expansion a “major milestone,” validating HyperEVM’s status as a serious Layer-1 network.
  
• Crypto trader DeFiyst suggested this may be Circle’s “last big push” to retain over $5.3 billion worth of USDC liquidity on Hyperliquid before USDH’s debut.
• Analyst Pajke predicted that Circle’s expansion could act as a catalyst, potentially pushing $HYPE prices into triple digits.
  

  Major milestone: Circle brings USDC natively to Hyperliquid. Clear validation of Hyperliquid’s status as an independent L1. https://t.co/zJRjHx6X1g

  — matthew sigel, recovering CFA (@matthew_sigel) September 16, 2025

Meanwhile, Paxos and Agora are already in the running to issue USDH, while Ethena had submitted a proposal but later withdrew.

With Circle stepping in as both a stablecoin competitor and ecosystem investor, Hyperliquid’s Layer-1 future and stablecoin wars are heating up rapidly.

The post Circle Launches Native USDC on Hyperliquid, Invests in $HYPE Tokens appeared first on icobench.com.