Circle Unveils Native USDC on X Layer, Phasing Out Bridged Tokens

Circle has announced that native USDC and CCTP (Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol) are now live on X Layer, OKX's Ethereum layer-2 network. This marks a significant shift from relying on bridged USDC.e tokens to native issuance.

Native USDC means Circle mints and redeems the token directly on X Layer, with each unit backed 1:1 by Circle's reserves rather than by a bridge's locked collateral.

CCTP is the mechanism that moves native USDC between chains, burning it on the source chain and minting an equivalent amount natively on the destination chain. This eliminates the need for a wrapped-asset step and reduces counterparty risk in settlement rails.