tl;dr
Shopify and Coinbase have partnered to allow consumers to pay merchants using Circle’s USDC stablecoin on Coinbase’s Base layer-2 network. This feature begins early access immediately and will expand to all merchants during the year. The collaboration includes Stripe and introduces the Commerce Paym...
Shopify and Coinbase have joined forces to enable consumers to make purchases using Circle’s USDC stablecoin on Coinbase’s Base network, with early access starting in 2025. This partnership introduces the Commerce Payments Protocol, developed with Stripe, which supports complex on-chain payment mechanics tailored for ecommerce transactions.
The innovative protocol allows merchants to offer buyer incentives such as 1% cash back while receiving payouts either in local currency or USDC. This integration represents the first large-scale adoption of crypto payments by a major ecommerce platform, signaling a significant shift in how cryptocurrencies are woven into mainstream finance. Shopify’s history of embracing crypto payments includes its prior integration of Solana Pay for USDC transactions, underscoring its commitment to expanding crypto payment options.
Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced the initiative at the 2025 Coinbase State of Crypto Summit, emphasizing the alignment between Shopify’s mission and crypto’s transformative potential. The payment option will seamlessly appear as a “pay with USDC on Base” choice across millions of Shopify stores, making crypto payments as straightforward as traditional methods.
By working closely with Stripe, Shopify and Coinbase created an open-source smart contract system that supports complex commerce transactions, including escrow, refunds, and multi-delivery orders—challenges that previously hindered on-chain commerce at scale. The Commerce Payments Protocol addresses these issues, enabling merchants to manage intricate payment flows smoothly and transparently.
This collaboration comes at a dynamic time as Circle recently completed a successful IPO, with its USDC stablecoin gaining substantial market traction. Despite this positive momentum, shares of Shopify and Coinbase experienced slight declines of about 4% following the announcement. Regardless, this partnership marks a pioneering step in cryptocurrency’s integration into everyday ecommerce, promising enhanced flexibility, transparency, and incentives for both buyers and merchants alike.