PANews reported on December 16th that, according to Cointelegraph, stablecoin issuer Circle has signed an agreement to acquire the Interop Labs team and its proprietary technology, bringing core contributors to the Axelar network into its infrastructure business. The deal, expected to close in early 2026, covers Interop Labs' personnel and proprietary intellectual property, while the Axelar network, its foundation, and the AXL token will remain independent and governed by the community.

Interop Labs is the original developer of the Axelar network, a decentralized interoperability network that enables cross-chain messaging and asset transfer between blockchains. Circle stated that the team's technology will be integrated into Circle's Arc blockchain and Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP). Another Axelar contributor, Common Prefix, will take over the development responsibilities previously held by Interop Labs to ensure the continued operation of this open-source network. According to Circle, this acquisition is expected to accelerate the interoperability of assets issued on Arc, improve tools for multi-chain application developers, and support the development of Circle's own products. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.