Share this article
Circle Examines Ways to Reverse Transactions to Counter Fraud, Disputes: FT
Circle is "thinking through ... whether or not there's the possibility of reversibility of transactions," President Heath Tarbert said in an interview
Sep 25, 2025, 3:25 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
What to know:
- Circle Internet (CRCL) is examining ways of reversing transactions involving its USDC stablecoin, the Financial Times reported.
- Circle President Heath Tarbert said allowing transactions to be refunded in case of fraud or disputes, as is possible in TradFi, would help push stablecoins into the mainstream.
- Such a development may rub certain crypto purists, who consider settlement finality to be non-negotiable, up the wrong way.
Circle Internet, (CRCL) is examining ways of reversing transactions involving its stablecoin, USDC, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Thursday.
The issuer of the second-largest stablecoin is "thinking through ... whether or not there's the possibility of reversibility of transactions," the company's president, Heath Tarbert, said in an interview with the newspaper.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Stablecoins, tokens pegged to the value of a traditional financial (TradFi) asset such as a fiat currency, are an important cog in the cryptocurrency machine, offering users a hedge against the volatility than can hit tokens like bitcoin and ether . They're also finding popularity as a method for international payments. The sector has a market cap of about $300 billion, according to data tracked by CoinGecko. USDC alone has a market cap of $74 billion; market leader Tether's USDT has $173 billion.
Tarbert said that allowing transactions to be refunded in case of fraud or disputes, similar to what is possible in TradFi, would help push stablecoins into the mainstream.
Such a development may rub certain crypto purists up the wrong way, because they consider settlement finality to be non-negotiable. Introducing the possibility of reversing transactions could rely on the the arbitration of a central authority, which many believe is antithesis of the decentralization that lies at cryptocurrency's core.
"At the same time, we want settlement finality," Tarbert said. “So there’s an inherent tension there between being able to transfer something immediately, but having it be irrevocable.”
Circle has been at the forefront of growing adoption of stablecoins in the U.S. this year following its successful initial public offering (IPO) in June.
The company did not immediately respond to CoinDesk's request for further comment.
More For You
More For You
Wall Street giant Apollo deepens crypto push with Morpho token deal
The asset manager overseeing more than $900 billion assets may buy up to 90 million MORPHO tokens as part of a partnership to support DeFi credit market, it said.
What to know:
- Apollo Global Management struck a cooperation agreement to support lending markets built on Morpho’s onchain protocol.
- The deal allows Apollo to acquire up to 90 million MORPHO tokens over 48 months.
- The move follows BlackRock's push into decentralized finance earlier this week, listing its tokenized fund and buying tokens of decentralized exchange Uniswap.
Top Stories
