According to Shopify and Coinbase, Shopify Payments will integrate USDC on Coinbase's Ethereum layer-2 Base network, beginning with a limited rollout on June 12 for early access merchants and expanding to all users later this year. Merchants can accept USDC payments while receiving local currency settlements without foreign transaction fees, and customers will earn 1% cash back with USDC payments launching later in 2024. This initiative aims to streamline global commerce, reduce costs, and enhance efficiency, potentially increasing demand for USDC and Ethereum (ETH) based assets due to Base's low-cost, high-speed infrastructure. (Source: Shopify and Coinbase announcement)

According to @CoinDesk and official announcements from Shopify and Coinbase, Shopify (SHOP) is set to enable stablecoin USDC payments for its merchants via Coinbase's Base, an Ethereum layer-2 network. The phased rollout starts June 12, 2024, with early access, expanding later to all Shopify Payments users. Merchants will receive local currency settlements, bypassing foreign transaction fees, while customers paying in USDC will earn 1% cashback. This integration leverages a new open-source payments protocol co-developed by Shopify and Coinbase, offering features like delayed capture and tax calculation. The move is strategically designed to increase stablecoin (USDC) on-chain utility, streamline global commerce, and potentially drive higher transaction volumes on Ethereum (ETH) and Base. With USDC supply growing 54% year-over-year and adoption by companies like PayPal and Grab, traders should monitor USDC, ETH, and COIN for increased liquidity and volatility. The market currently shows USDC trading at $1.0016 (+0.03%) and ETH at $2307.66 (+4.8%), indicating positive sentiment ahead of the rollout (sources: CoinDesk, Shopify, Coinbase).