Ant International, the overseas arm of Jack Ma-backed Ant Group, is working with Boston-based payments firm Circle to integrate the USDC stablecoin into the Chinese fintech giant’s global blockchain platform, according to people familiar with the matter. The addition would allow merchants and consumers on Ant’s network to settle transactions in the dollar-pegged token alongside existing fiat options, broadening the scope of the company’s cross-border payments business. Formal rollout of USDC will take place once Ant and Circle complete the necessary U.S. compliance procedures, the people said. The planned tie-up underscores growing links between large Chinese fintech companies and U.S.-issued stablecoins at a time when regulators worldwide are drafting rules for asset-backed digital tokens. Circle’s shares, which trade under the ticker CRCL, rose more than 5% in overnight trading after reports of the partnership. Ant Group, best known for operating the Alipay mobile payments app, has been expanding its blockchain services to bolster international commerce and remittances.