In December 2025, Circle officially announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire Interop Labs, the core contributor team behind the cross-chain communication protocol Axelar, along with its proprietary intellectual property. This official statement provides an authoritative lens through which to understand the strategic significance of the move. Circle explicitly stated that the acquisition aims to “strengthen the company’s cross-chain infrastructure strategy and accelerate the realiz...

In December 2025, Circle officially announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire Interop Labs, the core contributor team behind the cross-chain communication protocol Axelar, along with its proprietary intellectual property. This official statement provides an authoritative lens through which to understand the strategic significance of the move. Circle explicitly stated that the acquisition aims to “strengthen the company’s cross-chain infrastructure strategy and accelerate the realiz...