Circle to acquire Interop Labs team and IP as Axelar remains independent

Stablecoin issuer Circle has agreed to acquire the Interop Labs team and its proprietary intellectual property, a core contributor to the Axelar Network, with the deal expected to close in early 2026. The Axelar Network, its foundation, and the AXL token will remain independent and community-governed. Interop Labs was the initial developer of Axelar, a decentralized cross-chain interoperability network. Circle plans to integrate this technology into its Arc blockchain and Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) to enhance interoperability for Arc assets and multichain developer tools. Common Prefix will assume Interop Labs' development responsibilities for the open-source Axelar Network. This acquisition follows Circle's recent expansion efforts, including the purchase of Hashnote in January, and reflects a broader trend of stablecoin issuers like Paxos and Tether making strategic acquisitions to expand their infrastructure and business interests.

(Source：Cointelegraph)