Circle is eyeing NFC payments for USDC on iPhones

Stablecoin issuer Circle is planning to enable the tap-to-pay feature using USDC on Apple iPhones

In an Aug. 14 post on X, the firm’s CEO, Jeremy Allaire, pointed to a recent announcement from the California-based tech giant where it said it would allow third-party developers to integrate the iPhone’s Near Field Communication chip in their respective applications.

The NFC chip enables short-range wireless communication between devices when they are in close proximity, typically within a few centimeters. This allows contactless data exchange, such as making payments or sharing files, by creating a secure connection between the NFC-enabled devices.

Allarie’s Circle plans to leverage this feature, which was previously limited to only Apple native platforms like the Apple Wallet and Apple Pay.

According to Allaire’s explanation in a follow-up post, cryptocurrency wallets on iPhones using this feature would be able to receive information like “what blockchain address it will accept USDC on, or the amount to pay,” from a point-of-sale device.

The transaction would be secured using Apple’s biometric verification process, like FaceID, bolstered by Apple’s Secure Element, a dedicated hardware used in Apple devices that stores sensitive information isolated from the rest of the device’s hardware and operating system. 

“Wallet developers should start using the latest Apple iOS SDKs that support this and ready their apps for USDC Tap to Pay […] PoS hardware/software companies should ready firmware updates so that they can send/receive these NFC instructions, and work with their Payment Processors to ensure that those firms upgrade to support native USDC settlement.”

Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle

Allaire explained that the feature could be used alongside a “high-performance and low-fee” blockchain network to enable “direct-to-merchant USDC payments.” He added that the feature’s usability extends beyond USDC and could be implemented for other NFT and stablecoin-based applications.

Apple’s latest SDK update is set to debut in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and Brazil.

The tech giant has typically kept its distance from the cryptocurrency space and has even imposed various restrictions on applications linked to the sector. Last year, the company came under fire for its policy of charging a 30% commission on in-app sales of NFTs made through the App Store.

Prior to that, Apple blocked the social media platform Damus, which boasted a Bitcoin tipping feature. According to the company, the tipping feature violated app store policies, which mandate using Apple’s in-app payments.