Circle, the company behind the USDC stablecoin, has announced that they are launching a new protocol called the Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) which will be used to help bridge USDC across blockchain networks and open up new levels of interoperability within the web3 world. 

The new protocol has the potential to be a major game changer for stablecoins and the web3 ecosystem as more and more projects switch from USDT to USDC following their surprising resiliency to failure after the stablecoin depegged earlier this year. 

What is CCTP?

The cross-chain transfer protocol is a new system designed by Circle that allows users to burn existing USDC on one blockchain and mint it onto another blockchain. This dissolves the need for a network bridge which is a known vulnerability within the web3 industry because it bottlenecks the flow of liquidity between networks, making it easy for hackers to target. 

The protocol utilizes a concept known as programmatic burning and mining which activates once a user enters the proper command into apps that utilize CCTP. Once initiated, the CCTP links back to a smart contract deployed on Ethereum which triggers an attestation service authorized by Circle, causing burned USDC to reappear on the selected network. 

How CCTP will help users

There are many benefits to CCTP that are possible by removing the need for network bridges which take time to lock funds and transfer them to new networks. Instead, CCTP will be able to effectively “teleport” funds from one blockchain to another.

Not only will this speed up the time it takes to transfer assets from one network to another, but it will also be cheaper as most bridges require gas and service fees to operate. Furthermore, some of the most efficient bridges such as the Binance Bridge are geo-locked and not serviceable in countries like the United States. 

Next stage of interoperability

The significance of CCTP can't be overstated, it has the potential to rearrange how the web3 industry transfer funds between networks which can lead to a boon in the ecosystem as liquidity becomes more interoperable with different networks. 

As mentioned earlier, bridges create a bottleneck between blockchains and are not always the most optimal choice when transferring funds. For many new users, they can be a risky burden as well. 

By removing the need for network bridges, Circle has created a stablecoin that is effectively the same coin across all networks. This will help businesses manage assets while operating in web3 and helps them pay employees working on different networks.

Is USDC the best stablecoin?

Unlike Tether, USDC’s primary rival, USDC has made significant impacts on web3 in 2023 as they continue to prove themselves to be a reliable option for web3 business despite losing their peg to the USD dollar following Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse. 

Many see the collapse and depegging of USDC as a good thing because it shows that the company has been operating the stablecoin correctly, avoiding a massive crash to $0 that would have caused $40 billion to disappear. Instead, the coin was able to regain confidence and climb back to acceptable prices near $1 due to proper business tactics and financial management at Circle. 

While Tether may still be the most used stablecoin in web3, their lack of transparency is causing more users to slowly shift to USDC because their cash reserves are well documented. Going forward, USDC could eventually flip USDT if they continue to innovate interoperability for the web3 economy.