Last updated a month ago
Cardano does not have USDC, the world’s most used trusted stablecoin. This blocks billions in liquidity, deters users, and limits Cardano’s ability to compete in the global crypto economy
We will integrate Cardano with Arc to deliver fast and secure USDC, unlocking billions in liquidity, fueling mass global adoption, and positioning Cardano as a leader in real-world DeFi.
Please provide your proposal title
Arc + Cardano: lightning fast USDC interoperability
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
200000
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
3
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
Cardano does not have USDC, the world’s most used trusted stablecoin. This blocks billions in liquidity, deters users, and limits Cardano’s ability to compete in the global crypto economy
Supporting links
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
No
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
No dependencies
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
No
Please provide details on the intellectual property (IP) status of your project outputs, including whether they will be released as open source or retained under another licence.
Some components are open source, and some components of Mynth are still under development
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Cross-chain
Describe what makes your idea innovative compared to what has been previously launched in the market (whether by you or others).
Our project introduces the first seamless, production-grade integration of USDC into the Cardano ecosystem, delivering a capability that has never existed on Cardano nor through any previously funded Catalyst initiative. While Cardano has seen attempts at synthetic, bridged, or wrapped stablecoins, none provide direct interoperability with USDC, the world’s most widely adopted regulated stablecoin used across exchanges, payments, remittances, and global commerce.
What makes our approach uniquely innovative is:
This proposal delivers a foundational innovation that upgrades Cardano’s position in global DeFi, payments, and real-world adoption.
Describe what your prototype or MVP will demonstrate, and where it can be accessed.
Our application will demonstrate live, functioning USDC interoperability between Arc and Cardano, accessible through both developer-facing tools and a working user-facing interface.
What the Application Will Demonstrate
Where It Can Be Accessed
The prototype and application will be fully deployed for mainnet by the end of the project. Community members will be encouraged to test the flows, review documentation, provide UX feedback, and validate on-chain transactions independently.
This ensures that the deliverables are not theoretical; they are working, verifiable, and accessible to everyone in the Cardano ecosystem.
Describe realistic measures of success, ideally with on-chain metrics.
Success for this project will be evaluated through clear, verifiable on-chain indicators that reflect genuine ecosystem usage and adoption, without relying on inflated projections or unrealistic assumptions.
Key Measures of Success
Commitment to Transparency
All key metrics, such as wallet usage, integrations, and transaction activity, will be published openly so the community can track progress and validate impact independently. This ensures accountability and reinforces our commitment to delivering measurable value to the ecosystem.
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
Our solution is to connect Cardano directly with Arc’s USDC network through infrastructure powered by Mynth. This will allow Cardano users to send and receive USDC with the same ease as any other asset in their Cardano wallets, dApps, and services, while benefiting from Arc’s fast, low-cost settlement system.
Mynth will develop the integration layer that links Cardano to Arc, enabling USDC to work seamlessly alongside Cardano’s native stablecoins, such as USDM and USDA, without extra steps or complex bridging. The experience will be fully integrated: users transact as they normally would, and the system handles interoperability in the background.
By combining Arc’s fast and low-cost settlement infrastructure with Mynth’s leading blockchain interoperability, this brings Cardano into the world’s most widely used stablecoin economy while enhancing the utility of its own native stablecoins. The design prioritizes reliability, compliance readiness, and ease of adoption for developers, merchants, and end users.
This approach closes one of Cardano’s most significant gaps by enabling smooth, secure interoperability with global stablecoin liquidity, positioning the network as a more connected and competitive player in the global financial landscape.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
By enabling seamless interoperability between Arc’s USDC and Cardano’s native stablecoins, our project will unlock access to the world’s most trusted stablecoin economy for every Cardano user, developer, and merchant. This will make Cardano more attractive to global users, stimulate real-world payment adoption, and strengthen the ecosystem’s DeFi capabilities.
We will measure impact quantitatively by tracking:
We will also gather qualitative feedback from developers, merchants, and end users to assess usability and identify opportunities for further growth.
All outputs, including integration documentation, developer guides, usage statistics, and adoption reports, will be shared openly with the Cardano community through Mynth’s X and Discord channels. This ensures transparency, encourages ecosystem-wide adoption, and allows other builders to leverage the integration for their own projects.
Through this, the Cardano community gains a direct link to global stablecoin liquidity, enhancing network utility, growing its user base, and positioning Cardano as a competitive and connected blockchain in the global financial landscape.
What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?
Our team has already proven our ability to deliver complex, high-impact projects with no external funding by successfully building Mynth from the ground up. Over the past two years, we have worked tirelessly to bring true interoperability to Cardano, designing and deploying foundational infrastructure that is already enabling cross-chain connectivity.
We are one of Cardano’s leading interoperability teams, with deep expertise in blockchain architecture, protocol integration, and wallet connectivity. Our prior work on Mynth has given us both the technical knowledge and the operational experience to deliver on this proposal efficiently and to the highest standards.
Our approach to project delivery is structured and accountable:
Given our history, expertise, and established technical foundation, we are uniquely positioned to deliver this application quickly, reliably, and with full transparency to the Cardano community.
Milestone Title
Developer-Ready USDC Interoperability
Milestone Outputs
Launch of testnet interoperability between Arc’s USDC network and Cardano’s native stablecoins USDM and USDA. Demonstrating how to integrate into a dApp, complete with public API documentation and a testnet transaction.
Acceptance Criteria
Live testnet USDC flows into and out of Cardano, with interoperability working automatically alongside USDM and USDA. Public developer API documentation is online and available for reading, allowing integration into dApps.
Evidence of Completion
We will publish testnet transaction hashes, a concise video showing value moving between Arc and Cardano, and release public developer documentation. Anyone can verify the hashes on-chain and reproduce the flow using the provided steps, confirming the milestone is complete.
Delivery Month
1
Cost
40000
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Mainnet USDC Interoperability
Milestone Outputs
Launch of mainnet interoperability between Arc’s USDC network and Cardano’s native stablecoins USDM and USDA. Demonstrating how to integrate into a dApp, complete with public API documentation and a mainnet transaction.
Acceptance Criteria
Live mainnet USDC flows into and out of Cardano, with interoperability working automatically alongside USDM and USDA. Public developer API documentation is online and available for reading, allowing integration into dApps.
Evidence of Completion
We will publish mainnet transaction hashes, a concise video showing value moving between Arc and Cardano, and release public developer documentation. Anyone can verify the hashes on-chain and reproduce the flow using the provided steps, confirming the milestone is complete.
Delivery Month
2
Cost
40000
Progress
40 %
Milestone Title
User Experience Integration
Milestone Outputs
Integration of USDC interoperability into a private web interface that connects to Cardano wallets. Users can access and use USDC alongside USDM and USDA directly through an application with low complexity.
Acceptance Criteria
USDC interoperability is fully functional with Cardano wallets on mainnet, working automatically with USDM and USDA. The web interface is demonstrated privately, allowing users to transfer USDC to Cardano.
Evidence of Completion
A publicly available video walkthrough demonstrates a frontend executing live mainnet flows end-to-end, including visible confirmations and the display of transaction identifiers that can be matched on public explorers. The video shows each step from initiation to completion in one continuous capture, proving usability and reliability.
Delivery Month
2
Cost
40000
Progress
60 %
Milestone Title
Polished User Experience
Milestone Outputs
Integration of USDC interoperability into a public web interface that connects to Cardano wallets. Feedback is taken from private users and the application is polished to improve and enhance the user experience.
Acceptance Criteria
USDC interoperability is fully functional within a public application using Cardano wallets on mainnet, working automatically with USDM and USDA. Feedback from private users is addressed to improve the user experience.
Evidence of Completion
A publicly available video walkthrough demonstrates a public frontend executing live mainnet flows end-to-end. The link to the application is published and available for any user to use. The link is posted to social media.
Delivery Month
3
Cost
40000
Progress
80 %
Milestone Title
Project Close-out Report and Video
Milestone Outputs
At the end of the project, a short close-out report and a summary video will be prepared. The report will provide a clear overview of what was completed and the main results. The video will give a straightforward recap of the outcomes in an easy-to-follow way. Together, they will provide closure and serve as a record that the project has been completed.
Acceptance Criteria
This milestone will be complete once a written report and a video have been created. The report should confirm that the project is finished and summarize the key results. The video should give a simple overview of what was achieved. Both items together will mark the official close-out of the project.
Evidence of Completion
Evidence will consist of the final report and the summary video prepared at the end of the project. Having these two items will demonstrate that the work has been completed and the results have been documented in both written and visual form.
Delivery Month
3
Cost
40000
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Total Requested: ₳200,000
Development
Summary:
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
Connecting Cardano to the world’s most trusted stablecoin removes one of the ecosystem’s largest barriers to adoption. Billions in liquidity are currently locked out because USDC is unavailable, and this limits both developer and user participation. By delivering seamless USDC interoperability, we directly address that gap, creating a clear pathway for global users, merchants, and dApps to transact on Cardano without friction. The result is a measurable increase in wallets, transaction volume, and overall ecosystem activity that compounds far beyond the initial delivery period.
The proposed costs align with standard market rates for blockchain development and related services. Experienced developers in this field commonly command hourly rates in line with those used for the calculations, reflecting both the complexity of interoperability engineering and the need for reliability at production scale.
By establishing seamless USDC interoperability, Cardano gains a critical piece of financial infrastructure that unlocks liquidity, strengthens DeFi capabilities, and expands global usability. The benefits extend well beyond a single integration: developers gain a reliable building block, users gain frictionless access to the world’s most used stablecoin, and the ecosystem as a whole gains credibility and competitiveness in the global crypto economy.
I confirm that evidence of prior research, whitepaper, design, or proof-of-concept is provided.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal includes ecosystem research and uses the findings to either (a) justify its uniqueness over existing solutions or (b) demonstrate the value of its novel approach.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal demonstrates technical capability via verifiable in-house talent or a confirmed development partner (GitHub, LinkedIn, portfolio, etc.)
Yes
I confirm that the proposer and all team members are in good standing with prior Catalyst projects.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal clearly defines the problem and the value of the on-chain utility.
Yes
I confirm that the primary goal of the proposal is a working prototype deployed on at least a Cardano testnet.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal outlines a credible and clear technical plan and architecture.
Yes
I confirm that the budget and timeline (≤ 12 months) are realistic for the proposed work.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal includes a community engagement and feedback plan to amplify prototype adoption with the Cardano ecosystem.
Yes
I confirm that the budget is for future development only; excludes retroactive funding, incentives, giveaways, re-granting, or sub-treasuries.
Yes
I Agree
Yes
Robert Roose – Founder and Director
With over two decades of business and software development experience, Robert entered the crypto space in 2013. He has founded several Cardano protocols since 2021 and is the founder of Mynth, Cardano’s interoperability layer.
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/summatix
Mynth is backed by a seasoned software development company with a long history of delivering high-quality, large-scale solutions for both blockchain and traditional industries. Our in-house team covers all critical disciplines including architecture, engineering, testing, security, and project management. The project will be fully resourced from day one. For the most up-to-date team information, visit: https://docs.mynth.ai/guide/mynth/team