Adding Digital Dollar Accounts to Your App with Bridge and Circle

Virtual accounts, Programmable Wallets, and USDC are enabling new digital dollar experiences for a global audience. By seamlessly converting fiat into stablecoins and custoding them in wallet infrastructure, you can help your users access dollars, receive dollar-denominated payments, and make global B2B payouts onchain—all via APIs.

This blog explains how to combine these three components. We’ll walk through common use cases, show how to integrate these services, and here is a link to a sample project to try it out.

‍A Quick Overview of the Three Components

1. Virtual Accounts: A unique bank account (account + routing number) that you can programmatically create for your users to receive USD—no U.S. bank account required on the user’s side. Services like Bridge automate the conversion of incoming fiat to stablecoins.
2. Circle’s Programmable Wallets: API-driven wallets that let you securely custody and manage USDC (and other digital assets) on behalf of your users. Developer-Controlled Wallets make the UX seamless—users don’t have to worry about private keys.
3. USDC: A stablecoin backed 1:1 by U.S. dollars, enabling near-instant, cost-effective, onchain transactions without fiat currency volatility.

Diagram: How It All Fits Together

1. User deposits local currency into a dedicated virtual account.
2. Bridge auto-converts the funds from fiat USD to USDC.
3. Circle receives the USDC into a Programmable Wallet assigned to that user.
4. The user now has a digital dollar account (in USDC) they can use for spending, savings or payouts.

What’s a “Digital Dollar Account”?

Instead of users juggling traditional bank accounts, a “digital dollar account” in USDC provides:

• Dollar-Denominated Value, Globally: Users can hold their funds in stable USD.
• Instant Global Payouts: Transfers happen onchain in minutes, not days.
• Secure, Private-Key Controlled Wallets: Funds are held in a wallet secured by cryptographic private keys, ensuring safe and direct ownership.

Real-World Example

Imagine you run a freelance marketplace serving non-U.S. citizens. By integrating Bridge and Circle:

1. Workers get a unique virtual U.S. bank account.
2. Clients pay into that account in USD—just like a standard local bank transfer.
3. Bridge automatically converts the incoming funds to USDC and sends them onchain to the user’s Circle Programmable Wallet.
4. The worker can store USDC in their wallet (fighting local inflation) or off-ramp later when needed.

How to Integrate These Services

1. Set Up a Circle Programmable Wallet

Using Circle’s API, provision a wallet when your user signs up. Developer-Controlled Wallets let your system coordinate transactions behind the scenes.

const response = await circleDeveloperSdk.createWallets({
      accountType: "SCA",
      blockchains: [process.env.CIRCLE_BLOCKCHAIN as Blockchain],
      count: 1,
      walletSetId,
    });

2. Create a Virtual Account

Use Bridge’s API to programmatically create a virtual account for each user. The result is bank account details (account + routing number) plus an auto-conversion setting (fiat → USDC).

const response = await fetch(`${process.env.BRIDGE_API_URL}/v0/customers/${bridgeCustomerId}/virtual_accounts`, {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
        "Api-Key": process.env.BRIDGE_API_KEY,
        "Idempotency-Key": uuidv4()
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        source: {
          currency: "usd"
        },
        destination: {
          payment_rail: "ethereum",
          currency: "usdc",
          address: circleWalletAddress
        }
      })
    })

3. Automate Fiat-to-Crypto Conversion with USDC

When a deposit hits the user’s virtual account, Bridge automatically converts it to USDC and directs it to the Circle wallet. No extra steps needed—just confirm via webhooks when funds arrive.

Uses and Benefits

1. Access to Dollars: Users can access greater financial stability by enabling them to access digital dollars.
2. Cross-Border B2B Payouts: Companies can pay suppliers or contract workers globally in dollars—no wire transfer delays or fees.
3. Programmable Finance: USDC onchain means you can integrate DeFi features with straightforward wallet interactions.

Security and Compliance

Both Bridge and Circle handle extensive KYC/AML checks behind their APIs, ensuring compliance without you building it from scratch. For developer custody, Circle’s MPC (multi-party computation) protects keys at the infrastructure level.

Conclusion

By marrying virtual accounts (for seamless fiat deposits), Circle’s Programmable Wallets (for secure onchain custody), and USDC (for stable digital dollars), you can offer a truly global dollar account.

Try out our sample app to see the integration in action.

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