The United Nations received funding from Circle to advance the digital upgrade of cross-border refugee assistance.

Stablecoin issuer Circle announced a grant to the United Nations to support its global deployment of digital financial infrastructure to improve the efficiency of humanitarian aid disbursement. The announcement was made during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The Circle Foundation stated that this is its first international grant and will support the UN Centre for Digital Solutions in Fiscal Affairs (DHoTS) in its work to streamline cross-border fund transfers within the UN system. This grant continues Circle's 2022 collaboration with the UNHCR and DHoTS, when they disbursed aid to displaced persons in Ukraine via the USDC stablecoin. UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo stated that stablecoin payments help “make every dollar more effective” in a budget-constrained environment. Circle noted that approximately $38 billion in humanitarian aid currently relies on the traditional financial system annually, and digital financial infrastructure promises to significantly improve the efficiency of fund utilization. UNHCR High Commissioner Barham Salih also stated that the project aims to enhance the dignity and choices of forcibly displaced persons through technological means, while maximizing the actual impact of donated funds.