For entrepreneurs building businesses on their own, getting paid upfront isn't a perk. It's what keeps the work moving. When payments take days or weeks to clear, or lose a chunk to fees on the way, there's no cushion to absorb the hit.
To make matters smoother, Global Citizen and global financial technology company Circle have joined forces and have just announced a new multi-year partnership. The two hosted a launch event on Monday, November 9th at Circle's headquarters at One World Trade Center in New York City.
The event opened with remarks from Liza Henshaw, President of Global Citizen, followed by Elisabeth Carpenter, Chief Strategic Engagement Officer at Circle. Choreographer and philanthropist Sherrie Silver joined Carpenter for a fireside discussion, and the program closed with a conversation between Hugh Evans, CEO and co-founder of Global Citizen, and Jeremy Allaire, CEO, Co-founder and Chairman of Circle.
Jeremy Allaire, Co-Founder, CEO and Chairman, Circle (L) and Hugh Evans, CEO and Co-Founder, Global Citizen (R) speak about new partnership at launch event, importance of getting vendors paid fast and fairly. Photo by James Daniel for Global Citizen.
On Making Participation in the Global Economy More Accessible
Allaire, Carpenter and the Circle team have an ambitious vision for the future of currency.
The goal: make the global economy more accessible, so the people who power it can get paid quickly, fairly and affordably, wherever they live.
Circle created USDC, the now-largest, regulated digital stablecoin. Unlike other digital currencies that fluctuate in price, USDC is designed to maintain price equivalence to the US dollar.
USDC is redeemable 1:1 for US dollars while benefiting from the speed and security of blockchain technology.
"We've had this world where basically billions of people can be connected, exchange information, communicate everywhere, instantly, at no cost... but the economic system hasn't worked that way," said Allaire. "At Circle we are working to upgrade the internet to include money... exchanging money directly on the internet the same way we have with information, data and media. And if we can do that, value can be exchanged at virtually no cost and we can bring more people into the financial system."
Starting with Move Afrika
The partnership begins with Move Afrika, Global Citizen's initiative to grow Africa's live entertainment industry, and the economy around it, creating job and entrepreneurship opportunities for the continent's emerging generations. Circle will join the 2027 Move Afrika tour as a Major Tour Partner, alongside Cisco.
Since 2023, Global Citizen has paired some of entertainment's biggest names, with prominent artists from the African continent, to power a tour across cities like Kigali in Rwanda, Lagos, Nigeria and Pretoria, South Africa.
Behind every Move Afrika show are many local businesses: sound engineers, caterers, suppliers and designers. Many still wait days to be paid across borders and lose part of what they earn to fees.
Beginning in Rwanda in early 2027, the partnership will test a different approach. Vendors will be paid in USDC, ahead of the events.
Through the Move Afrika Production Alliance, vendors will also get financial education and training to use these tools safely and with confidence.
Why Getting Paid Upfront Matters
For small businesses and vendors, late payment isn’t just an inconvenience. It means covering equipment, staff and supplies out of pocket before any money comes in.
Almost two billion people don’t have access to a bank account. Better access to basic financial services to drive stability of the dollar, anyone and anywhere can participate in the Global Economy.
When vendors get paid on time and in full, they can take on more work and grow.
“We believe the future of money should work for everyone, not just the people and places it has always worked for,” said Jeremy Allaire, Co-Founder, CEO and Chair, Circle.
Jeremy Allaire Joins Global Citizen's Board of Directors
Allaire has also just joined Global Citizen’s Board of Directors. Jeremy is responsible for strategy, vision and operating execution at Circle. He brings more than two decades of experience building and leading global internet software platforms, including founder and CEO of Brightcove, technologist and entrepreneur in residence at General Catalyst, CTO of Macromedia, and co-founder and CTO of Allaire Corporation. In 2026 he was named to the TIME100 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
(L-R) Nir Bar Dea, CEO, Bridgewater Associates; Sherrie Silver, Actor and Philanthropist; Jeremy Allaire, CEO, Co-Founder and Chairman, Circle; Elisabeth Carpenter, Chief Strategic Engagement Officer, Circle; and Hugh Evans, CEO and Co-Founder, Global Citizen. Photo by James Daniel for Global Citizen.